On this day in 1692, the Salem Witch Hunt began. That was the day Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, an Indian slave from Barbados, were charged with the illegal practice of witchcraft.

Where in the World? Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The Hunt Grows. The same day, Tituba, in what was probably a forced confession, admitted to being a witch and encouraged the authorities to look for other Salem witches.

Who started it? It all began a month earlier. Nine year old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year old Abigail Williams, daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, both became ill. The village doctor was called. His diagnosis - bewitchment - started a movement that would eventually result in the death by hanging of 19 men and women. In addition, one man was crushed to death; 17 others died in prison, and the lives of many were changed forever.

Spinning Out of Control. With the doctor's diagnosis of bewitchment and the encouragement of other adults, Elizabeth and Abigail, along with other "afflicted" Salem residents, pointed the finger at more and more Salem residents, accusing them of witchcraft.

Who Was Accused? The accused were mostly middle-aged women, though a few men and even a four-year-old child were among those fingered.

The Circle Grows. Over the next few months, the girls incriminated over 150 women and men from Salem Village.

Hear and Decide. In June of 1692, a special Court of Oyer, "to hear," and Terminer, "to decide," met to judge the accused. The first to be tried and found guilty was Bridget Bishop of Salem. She was hanged on June 10.

Evidence? Most were condemned on the basis of the girls' hysterical behavior during the trials.

Court is Now Closed. In October of 1692, Governor William Phipps of Massachusetts ordered the Court of Oyer and Terminer dissolved and replaced with the Superior Court of Judicature, which forbid the hysterical testimony that was allowed earlier.

The End. The executions stopped and those still awaiting trial were released. All those sentenced to death were pardoned. The Salem witch trials, which resulted in the executions of 19 innocent women and men, had ended.