Joseph McCarthy

Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was a renowned American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. He became famed starting from 1950 because of his publicized efforts to expose alleged communists infiltrating the United States federal government, universities, film industry, and other areas, leading to a period characterized by Cold War tensions and fears of widespread communist subversion. McCarthy's means of investigation have generated much controversy as critics viewed him as using 'McCarthyism', a term coined in 1950 originally referring to his practices, and later expanded to denote demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents. Before his political career, McCarthy served in the Marine Corps during WWII, rising to the rank of major. His tales of wartime heroism were later found to be largely exaggerated or falsified, which served to ridicule him among critics.