Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, Austria. He began weight training as a teenager and became one of bodybuilding’s most prominent competitors. He won the Mr. Universe title and then captured Mr. Olympia seven times: six consecutive victories from 1970 through 1975, followed by a comeback win in 1980. The 1977 documentary *Pumping Iron* showed his preparation for the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest and helped introduce competitive bodybuilding to a wider audience.

Schwarzenegger moved to the United States in 1968 to pursue bodybuilding and acting. His early screen work included *Hercules in New York*, released in 1970, but his breakthrough as a film lead came with *Conan the Barbarian* in 1982. In James Cameron’s *The Terminator* (1984), he played a relentless cyborg assassin and delivered the line “I’ll be back.” He returned to the role in *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991), this time playing a Terminator sent to protect John Connor. His other major action films include *Predator* (1987), *Total Recall* (1990), and *True Lies* (1994).

He also built a comedy career. In *Twins* (1988), he starred opposite Danny DeVito as an unlikely pair of brothers; in *Kindergarten Cop* (1990), he played a detective working undercover as a teacher. Those roles broadened a screen persona initially defined by his physique and action films. Away from film, he promoted fitness through the Arnold Sports Festival, an event that began in Columbus, Ohio, in 1989.

Schwarzenegger entered elected office during California’s 2003 recall election. Running as a Republican, he won the vote to replace Governor Gray Davis and served as governor from November 2003 to January 2011. He won a full term in 2006. Among the legislation he signed was California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, known as AB 32, which set a statewide target to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. His governorship also included difficult budget negotiations as California faced large deficits, especially during the late-2000s financial crisis.

After leaving office, Schwarzenegger continued acting and advocating for climate action. In 2012, the University of Southern California established the Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. His career remains unusual in its sequence of internationally recognized bodybuilding titles, Hollywood stardom, and two terms governing the most populous U.S. state.