Charles Lee Manson was an American criminal and cult leader born on November 12, 1934. He gained notoriety in the late 1960s for orchestrating a series of murders carried out by his followers, known as the Manson Family. Manson believed in an impending apocalyptic race war, which he called "Helter Skelter," a term he borrowed from a The Beatles song. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders. He was sentenced to life in prison and remained a controversial figure until his death on November 19, 2017.