Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Arnold Schwarzenegger



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38th Governor of California
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 17, 2003
Lieutenant Cruz Bustamante (2003–2007)
John Garamendi (2007–present)
Preceded by Gray Davis

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Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
In office
1990 – January 20, 1993

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Born July 30, 1947 (1947-07-30) (age 61)
Thal, Styria, Austria
Nationality Austrian & American
Political party Republican
Spouse Maria Shriver (1986–present)
Children Katherine (born 1989)
Christina (born 1991)
Patrick (born 1993)
Christopher (born 1997)
Residence Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Alma mater University of Wisconsin-Superior
Occupation Politician
Profession Bodybuilder, actor, politician, investor
Religion Roman Catholic
Website gov.ca.gov
schwarzenegger.com
Military service
Service/branch Austrian Army
Years of service 1965
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: [ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ]; born July 30, 1947) is an American and Austrian bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California.

Schwarzenegger began weight-training at 15. He was awarded the title of Mr. Universe at age 22 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest a total of seven times. Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent face in the bodybuilding sport long after his retirement, and has written several books and numerous articles on the sport.

Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon, noted for his lead role in films such as Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator. He was nicknamed the "Austrian Oak" and the "Styrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnold Strong" and "Arnie" during his acting career, and more recently the "Governator" (a portmanteau of Governor and the Terminator, one of his film roles).[1]

As a Republican, he was first elected on October 7, 2003, in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis's term. Schwarzenegger was then re-elected on November 7, 2006, in California's 2006 gubernatorial election, to serve a full term as governor, defeating Democrat Phil Angelides, who was California State Treasurer at the time. Schwarzenegger was sworn in for a second term on January 5, 2007.[2] In May 2004 and 2007, he was named as one of the Time 100 people who help shape the world.[3][4]

Schwarzenegger is married to Maria Shriver and has four children.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
1.1 Early adulthood
1.2 Move to the U.S.
2 Bodybuilding career
2.1 Strongman
2.2 Mr. Olympia
2.3 Steroid use
3 Acting career
4 Political career
4.1 Early politics
4.2 Governor of California
4.2.1 Amendment of Three Strikes Law
4.3 Electoral history
4.4 Environmental record
5 Personal life
5.1 Accidents and medical issues
6 Business career
6.1 Planet Hollywood
6.2 Net worth
7 Allegations of sexual and personal misconduct
8 See also
9 Notes
10 Bibliography
10.1 Interviews
10.2 Film
11 External links
11.1 Official
11.2 Election websites
11.3 Nonpartisan
11.4 Unofficial



Early life
Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a small village bordering the Styrian capital Graz, and was christened Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger.[5] His parents were the local police chief Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907 – 1972), and his wife, Aurelia Jadrny (1922 – 1998). They were married on October 20, 1945 – Gustav was 38, and Aurelia was a 23-year-old widow with a son named Meinhard. According to Schwarzenegger, both of his parents were very strict: "Back then in Austria it was a very different world, if we did something bad or we disobeyed our parents, the rod was not spared."[6] He grew up in a Roman Catholic family who attended church service every Sunday.[7]

Gustav had a preference for Meinhard, the elder of the two sons.[8] His favoritism was "strong and blatant," which stemmed from unfounded suspicion that Arnold was not his child.[9] Schwarzenegger has said his father had "no patience for listening or understanding your problems… there was a wall; a real wall."[7] Schwarzenegger had a good relationship with his mother, and kept in touch with her until her death.[10] In later life, Schwarzenegger commissioned the Simon Wiesenthal Center to research his father's wartime record, which came up with no evidence of atrocities despite Gustav's membership in the Nazi Party and SA.[8] At school, Schwarzenegger was apparently in the middle, but stood out for his "cheerful, good-humored and exuberant" character.[7] Money was a problem in the household; Schwarzenegger has recalled that one of the highlights of his youth was when the family bought a refrigerator.[9]

As a boy, Schwarzenegger played many sports—heavily influenced by his father.[7] He picked up his first barbell in 1960, when his football coach took his team to a local gym.[5] At the age of 14, Schwarzenegger chose bodybuilding over football (soccer) as a career.[11][12] Schwarzenegger has responded to a question asking if he was age 13 when he started weightlifting: "I actually started weight training when I was fifteen, but I'd been participating in sports, like soccer, for years, so I felt that although I was slim, I was well-developed, at least enough so that I could start going to the gym and start Olympic lifting."[6] However, his official website biography claims: "At 14, he started an intensive training program with Dan Farmer, studied psychology at 15 (to learn more about the power of mind over body) and at 17, officially started his competitive career."[13] During a speech in 2001, he said, "My own plan formed when I was 14 years old. My father had wanted me to be a police officer like he was. My mother wanted me to go to trade school."[14] Schwarzenegger took to visiting a gym in Graz, where he also frequented the local movie theaters to see bodybuilding idols such as Reg Park, Steve Reeves and Johnny Weissmuller on the big screen. "I was inspired by individuals like Reg Park and Steve Reeves."[6] When Reeves died in 2000, Schwarzenegger fondly remembered him: "As a teenager, I grew up with Steve Reeves. His remarkable accomplishments allowed me a sense of what was possible, when others around me didn't always understand my dreams ... Steve Reeves has been part of everything I've ever been fortunate enough to achieve."[15] In 1961, Schwarzenegger met former Mr. Austria Kurt Marnul, who invited him to train at the gym in Graz.[5] He was so dedicated as a youngster that he was known to break into the local gym on weekends, when it was usually closed, so that he could train. "It would make me sick to miss a workout … I knew I couldn't look at myself in the mirror the next morning if I didn't do it."[6] When Schwarzenegger was asked about his first movie experience as a boy, he replied, "I was very young, but I remember my father taking me to the Austrian theaters and seeing some newsreels. The first real movie I saw, that I distinctly remember, was a John Wayne movie."[6]