Whittaker Chambers was an American writer and former communist spy, born on April 1, 1901. He is best known for his role in the Alger Hiss case, where he accused Hiss, a prominent government official, of being a Soviet spy. Chambers' testimony in 1948 was pivotal in the case, leading to Hiss's conviction for perjury. Chambers later became a prominent anti-communist figure and wrote the influential book, Witness, published in 1952. In this work, he detailed his experiences as a communist and his eventual disillusionment with the ideology, advocating for a more democratic and free society.