Arnold Schwarzenegger

**Early Life and Education:**
– Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born in Thal on July 30, 1947.
– His father, Gustav, served in World War II and was strict.
– Schwarzenegger grew up in a Catholic family.
– He struggled with reading and was diagnosed as dyslexic.
– Money was scarce in his household.
– Served in the Austrian Army in 1965.
– Attended business school in Munich.
– Completed coursework for a business degree in the US.
– Graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1980.
– Received US citizenship in 1983.

**Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Career:**
– Started weight training at age 15.
– Won the Mr. Universe title at age 20 and Mr. Olympia title seven times.
– Competed in Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting contests, winning titles in the 1960s.
– Continued workout routine even after retirement.
– Legacy celebrated in the Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition.
– Won multiple bodybuilding titles, including Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.
– Won the Munich stone-lifting contest in 1967.

**Acting Career:**
– After retiring from bodybuilding, became a Hollywood action star.
– Had a breakthrough role in ‘Conan the Barbarian.’
– Founded the film production company Oak Productions.
– Nicknamed ‘Arnie’ and ‘Schwarzy’ during his acting career.
– Early roles include ‘Hercules in New York’ and ‘The Long Goodbye.’
– Won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor for ‘Stay Hungry.’

**Political Career:**
– Elected Governor of California in a special recall election in 2003.
– Served two terms as Governor, from 2003 to 2011.
– Chaired the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
– Registered Republican during his political career.
– Known as a moderate Republican, describing himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
– Supported parental notification for minors and opposed same-sex marriage legalization.

**Personal Life:**
– Married Maria Shriver in 1986, separated in 2011.
– Divorce from Maria Shriver finalized in 2021.
– Had a strained relationship with his father.
– Mentored by Alfred Gerstl and befriended his son Karl.
– Acknowledged using anabolic steroids for muscle maintenance.
– Settled lawsuits related to steroid use against a German doctor and a U.S. tabloid.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Wikipedia)

"Schwarzenegger" redirects here. For other people with the name, see Schwarzenegger (surname).

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, filmmaker, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder known for his roles in high-profile action movies. He served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011 and was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger in 2019
38th Governor of California
In office November 17, 2003 – January 3, 2011
Lieutenant	Cruz Bustamante John Garamendi Mona Pasquil (acting) Abel Maldonado
Preceded by	Gray Davis
Succeeded by	Jerry Brown
Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
In office January 22, 1990 – May 27, 1993
President	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Dick Kazmaier
Succeeded by	Florence Griffith Joyner (co-chair) Tom McMillen (co-chair)
Personal details
Born	Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (1947-07-30) July 30, 1947 (age 76) Thal, Styria, Austria
Citizenship	Austria United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Maria Shriver ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 2021)​
Children	5, including Katherine, Patrick and Joseph Baena
Parent	Gustav Schwarzenegger (father)
Relatives	Chris Pratt (son-in-law)
Education	Santa Monica College UCLA Extension University of Wisconsin–Superior (BBA)
Bodybuilding career Bodybuilder As entrant to the 1974 Mr. Olympia competition at Madison Square Garden Personal info Nickname The Austrian Oak Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Weight 235 lb (107 kg) (contest) 260 lb (118 kg) (off-season) Professional career Pro-debut NABBA Mr. Universe 1968 Best win IFBB Mr. Olympia 1970–1975, 1980; seven times Predecessor Sergio Oliva ('69) Frank Zane ('79) Successor Franco Columbu ('76, '81) Active Retired 1980 Medal record Men's bodybuilding Representing  Austria Mr Universe (amateur) 1st 1967 Mr Universe (pro) 1st 1968 1st 1969 1st 1970 Mr. Olympia 2nd 1969 1st 1970 1st 1971 1st 1972 1st 1973 1st 1974 1st 1975 1st 1980 Powerlifting Representing  Austria International Powerlifting Championships 1st 1966 +80 kg German Powerlifting Championships 2nd 1967 +80 kg 1st 1968 +80 kg Graz-Paradise Keller Powerlifting Championships 2nd 1967 +80 kg Men's weightlifting Representing  Austria Styrian Junior Weightlifting Championships 1st 1964 German Austrian Weightlifting Championships 1st 1965
Occupation	Actor bodybuilder businessman filmmaker investor philanthropist politician writer
Signature
Website	www.schwarzenegger.com
Military service
Branch/service	Austrian Armed Forces
Years of service	1965
Rank	Wehrmann
Unit	Belgier Barracks

Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at age 15 and won the Mr. Universe title aged 20, and subsequently the Mr. Olympia title seven times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and has written many books and articles about it. The Arnold Sports Festival, considered the second-most important bodybuilding event after Mr. Olympia, is named after him. He appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron (1977). After retiring from bodybuilding, he gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action star, with his breakthrough in the sword and sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian (1982), a box-office hit with a sequel in 1984. After playing the title character in the science fiction film The Terminator (1984), he starred in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and three other sequels. His other successful action films included Commando (1985), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990), and True Lies (1994), in addition to comedy films such as Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Jingle All the Way (1996). He is the founder of the film production company Oak Productions.

As a registered Republican, Schwarzenegger chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during most of the George H. W. Bush administration. On October 7, 2003, he was elected Governor of California in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. He received 48.6% of the vote, 17 points ahead of Democrat runner-up Cruz Bustamante. He was sworn in on November 17 to serve the remainder of Davis' term, and was reelected in the 2006 California gubernatorial election with an increased vote share of 55.9% to serve a full term. In 2011 he reached his term limit as governor and returned to acting.

Schwarzenegger was nicknamed the "Austrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnie" or "Schwarzy" during his acting career, and "the Governator" (a portmanteau of "Governor" and "Terminator") during his political career. He married Maria Shriver, a niece of President John F. Kennedy, in 1986. They separated in 2011 after he admitted to having fathered a child with their housemaid in 1997; their divorce was finalized in 2021.