1989

Ceausescu and his wife.

People line up in front of the application office for passports.

More than two years after the Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany to prevent its citizens from fleeing its communist regime,
nearly 4,000 West Berliners were allowed to cross into East Berlin
to visit relatives. Under an agreement reached between East and
West Berlin, over 170,000 passes were eventually issued to West
Berlin citizens, each pass allowing a one-day visit to communist
East Berlin.

Citizens of West Berlin lining up for Christmas passes into
East Berlin.

President John Kennedy on an observation platform (left)
as he looks into East Berlin across the Communist Berlin
Wall that divided the German city. (AP Photo)

Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957)

The U.S. Senate voted 65 to 22 to condemn Senator Joseph R.
McCarthy for conduct unbecoming of a senator. The action
which was equivalent to a censure, related to McCarthy’s
controversial investigation of suspected communists in the
U.S. government, military and civilian society.

What is known as “McCarthyism” began on February 9, 1950,
when McCarthy, a relatively obscure Republican senator from
Wisconsin, announced during a speech in Wheeling, West
Virginia, that he had in his possession a list of 205 communists
who had infiltrated the U.S. State Department.

Actor Gary Cooper being questioned by the  Congressional
committee.

On October 20, 1947, the notorious Red Scare kicked into high gear
in Washington, as a Congressional committee begins investigating
Communist influence in one of the world’s richest and most
glamorous communities: Hollywood.

After World War II, the Cold War began to heat up between the
world’s two superpowers—the United States and the communist-
controlled Soviet Union. In Washington, conservative watchdogs
worked to out communists in government before setting their
sights on alleged “Reds” in the famously liberal movie industry.

In its investigation, the House Un-American Activities Committee
grilled a number of prominent witnesses, asking bluntly “Are you
or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Some
witnesses—including director Elia Kazan, actors Gary Cooper and
Robert Taylor and studio honchos Walt Disney and Jack Warner—
gave the committee names of colleagues they suspected of being
communists.

A small group known as the “Hollywood Ten” (below) resisted,
complaining that the hearings were illegal and violated their
First Amendment rights. They were all convicted of obstructing
the investigation and served jail terms.

A group of Hollywood stars pose against the Capitol dome as they arrived
in Washington, D.C. for a session of the committee.

TIM MAGUIRE