The "Tate murders" refer to a tragic event that occurred on August 8-9, 1969, when members of the Manson Family, a cult led by Charles Manson, killed actress Sharon Tate and four others at her home in Los Angeles. Tate, who was eight months pregnant, was hosting friends when the attack took place, shocking the nation and drawing significant media attention. The murders were part of a larger plan by Manson to incite a race war, which he called "Helter Skelter." The brutal nature of the killings and the subsequent trial of Manson and his followers highlighted issues of violence and societal unrest in the late 1960s.