Arnold Schwarzenegger
Austrian Oak turned Hollywood icon and California governor.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, Styria, Austria, to Gustav and Aurelia Schwarzenegger. His father, a police chief and former Nazi Party and SA member, served as a military policeman during World War II in Poland, France, and the Soviet Union, including at the siege of Leningrad, where he was wounded and later discharged. Gustav married Aurelia in 1945; he was 38, she was 23. Schwarzenegger has described his upbringing as strict, with physical punishment from his father, which he later called child abuse. His father openly favored his older brother, Meinhard, over Arnold, suspecting Arnold was not his biological child. Despite this, Schwarzenegger remained close to his mother. At school, he was academically average but known for his cheerful personality, and he struggled with reading, later diagnosed with dyslexia. The family had little money; Schwarzenegger recalled the purchase of a refrigerator as a childhood highlight. Influenced by his athletic father, he played several sports as a boy.
He began lifting weights at age 15 and won the Mr. Universe title at 20. He went on to win the Mr. Olympia championship seven times, tying for the second-most wins in history. Known as the "Austrian Oak," he is considered one of the greatest bodybuilders ever. He authored books on the sport, including his autobiography *Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder* (1977) and *The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding* (1998). The Arnold Sports Festival, the second-most prestigious bodybuilding event, is named after him. His appearance in the documentary *Pumping Iron* (1977) launched his film career.
After retiring from bodybuilding, he became a global action star in the 1980s. His breakthrough was *Conan the Barbarian* (1982), followed by its sequel. He then starred as the Terminator in the 1984 science fiction film and reprised the role in four sequels. Other major films include *Commando*, *Predator*, *Total Recall*, *True Lies*, and comedies like *Twins* and *Kindergarten Cop*. At his peak, he was known for a rivalry with Sylvester Stallone. His films have grossed over $5.4 billion worldwide. He founded the production company Oak Productions.
A Republican, he chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under George H. W. Bush. In 2003, he was elected governor of California in a special recall election, winning 48.6% o
- born
- July 30, 1947, in Thal, Styria, Austria
- field
- Bodybuilding, acting, film production, politics
- nationality
- Austrian and American
- known_for
- Mr. Olympia titles, Terminator film series, Governor of California
Lore & Background
Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at age 15 and won Mr. Universe at 20. He won Mr. Olympia seven times, tying with Phil Heath for second-most wins. Nicknamed the 'Austrian Oak,' he is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders. He wrote books including Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977) and The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (1998). The Arnold Sports Festival is named after him. He appeared in Pumping Iron (1977), which launched his film career. His breakthrough was Conan the Barbarian (1982), followed by The Terminator (1984) and sequels. Other films include Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990), and True Lies (1994). He was known for his rivalry with Sylvester Stallone. His films have grossed over $5.4 billion. He founded Oak Productions. As a Republican, he chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under George H. W. Bush. He was elected governor in 2003 with 48.6% of the vote, replacing Gray Davis, and reelected in 2006 with 55.9%. He served until 2011 due to term limits. As of 2026, he and Steve Poizner are the last Republicans to hold statewide office in California.
Reader's Guide
Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Styria, to Gustav and Aurelia. Gustav was a police chief who joined the Nazi Party in 1938 and the SA in 1939, served as a military policeman in WWII, was wounded at Leningrad, and discharged in 1944. He later worked as a price control official. Gustav married Aurelia in 1945; he was 38, she was 23. Schwarzenegger was raised Catholic. His father favored his older brother Meinhard. Schwarzenegger has said he suffered what would now be called child abuse. He struggled with reading and was later diagnosed with dyslexia. He began weight training in 1960 at age 14, choosing bodybuilding over football. He trained at a gym in Graz and was mentored by Kurt Marnul and Alfred Gerstl. His brother Meinhard died in a car crash on May 20, 1971, driving drunk; Schwarzenegger did not attend the funeral. He paid for Meinhard's son Patrick's education. His father Gustav died of a stroke on December 13, 1972. In Pumping Iron, a fabricated story claimed he did not attend his father's funeral because he was training; the film's producer later said this was taken from another bodybuilder.
Did You Know?
- Schwarzenegger did not attend his brother Meinhard's funeral in 1971.
- The fabricated story in Pumping Iron was about missing his father's funeral, not his brother's.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born 30 July 1947) is an Austrian-born American actor, Republican politician, bodybuilder, businessman, who was the 38th Governor of California." — Arnold Schwarzenegger "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977), New York: Simon & Schuster." — Arnold Schwarzenegger "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977), New York: Simon & Schuster." — Arnold Schwarzenegger "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977), New York: Simon & Schuster." — Arnold Schwarzenegger
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