Arnold Schwarzenegger: From Bodybuilder to Hollywood Icon and Politician

Arnold Schwarzenegger is known as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and has since become a very successful actor, filmmaker, businessman, and politician.

Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, Austria. He is the son of Gustav Schwarzenegger and Aurelia Jadrny Schwarzenegger.

In 1977, Tom Brokaw introduced Maria to Arnold and they later got married on April 26, 1986, at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

He was named among Time magazine’s ‘100 most influential people in the world’ in 2004 and 2007, and he served as the governor of California from 2004 to 2011.

In this article, I will tell you the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger and how he became one of the most successful and influential people in the United States.

The Beginning of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Journey

In 1965, when he turned 18, Arnold had to enlist in the military for a one-year minimum commitment, he famously left base once without permission to compete in a bodybuilding competition and won.

After his military stint, he focused solely on his strength and sports aspirations. He moved to Munich, and often slept in the gym because he did not have anywhere else to live.

Schwarzenegger competed in Olympic Lifting and powerlifting during his early years. He found some success in pure strength events, but began to build his reputation on the European bodybuilding circuit in the late ’60s.

Arnold’s Career In Bodybuilding

At the age of just 19, Arnold shocked the world by winning the 1967 NABBA Mr Universe. After winning 2 of the 3 contests he had entered, Arnold went into the 1968 IFBB Mr. Universe as favourite, but lost to the smaller but much leaner Frank Zane.

After rebounding from his loss, Schwarzenegger moved to the United States full-time and won four international titles in 1969 in both the Tall and Overall categories.

The same year he made his Mr. Olympia debut, placing second to defending champion Sergio Oliva. This was his last ever defeat in competitive bodybuilding.

Schwarzenegger went on to dominate Mr. Olympia for most of the 70s, winning it in 1970-1975. He retired after his victory in 1975, until coming out of retirement in 1980 and winning it for the seventh time.

The Arnold Sports Festival, the second biggest professional bodybuilding event in recent years, is named after him. Arnold is reckoned as one of the most significant figures in the history of bodybuilding.

List of Medals Arnold won

Mr Universe (amateur)

1967 – 1st place

Mr Universe (pro)

1968 – 1st place

1969 – 1st place

1970 – 1st place

Mr Olympia

1969 – 2nd place

1970 – 1st place

1971 – 1st place

1972 – 1st place

1973 – 1st place

1974 – 1st place

1975 – 1st place

1980 – 1st place

Arnold in Hollywood

After his successful career in bodybuilding and winning his seventh Mr.Olympia, Schwarzenegger moved his attention to Hollywood, where he quickly made a name for himself.

In 1977, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognized him with a Golden Globe for new Male Star of the year for his role in Stay Hungry.

His first big movie, “Conan the Barbarian,” made $100 million in 1981. He then made his first appearance in the Terminator in 1984, which has been called his acting career’s signature role.

List of all Arnold Schwarzenegger movies

1. Hercules in New York (1969)
2. The Long Goodbye (1973)
3. Stay Hungry (1976)
4. Pumping Iron (1977)
5. The Villain (1979)
6. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
7. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
8. The Terminator (1984)
9. Red Sonja (1985)
10. Commando (1985)
11. Raw Deal (1986)
12. Predator (1987)
13. The Running Man (1987)
14. Twins (1988)
15. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
16. Total Recall (1990)
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
18. Twins (1988)
19. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
20. Total Recall (1990)
21. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
22. Dave (1993)
23. Last Action Hero (1993)
24. Beretta’s Island (1993)
25. Junior (1994)
26. True Lies (1994)
27. Eraser (1996)
28. Jingle All the Way (1996)
29. Battle Across Time (1996)
30. Batman & Robin (1997)
31. End of Days (1999)
32. The 6th Day (2000)
33. Collateral Damage (2002)
34. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
35. The Rundown (2003)
36. Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
37. The Kid and I (2005)
38. The Expendables (2010)
39. The Expendables 2 (2012)
40. Escape Plan (2013)
41. The Last Stand (2013)
42. Sabotage (2014)
43. The Expendables 3 (2014)
44. Terminator Genesis (2015)
45. After Math (2017)
46. The Wonders of the Sea 3D (2017)
47. Killing Gunther (2017)
48. The Game Changers (2018)
49. Journey to China (2019)
50. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
51. King Fury 2 (2023)

Arnold in Politics

Schwarzenegger became a permanent U. S citizen in 1983, which is when he got more involved in the American political scene. He appeared in an anti-drug music video in 1985 supporting the U. S president Ronald Reagan.

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush appointed him as the Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which he held for 2 years, until 1993.

Arnold political career began in 2003, when he entered politics for the first time by running for Governor of California in a recall election. He was elected Governor and served the remainder of Davis’ term between 2003 and 2007.

Schwarzenegger was re-elected in 2006 to serve his first full term between 2007 and 2011. He was unable to run for a third term due to term limits imposed by the California Constitution, but he has remained involved in public life since leaving office.

Arnold’s Family

On April 26, 1986, Schwarzenegger married Shriver in Hyannis, Massachusetts and went on to have four children.

• Katherine Schwarzenegger (December 13, 1989)
• Christina Schwarzenegger (July 23, 1991)
• Patrick Schwarzenegger (September 18, 1993)
• Christopher Schwarzenegger (September 27, 1997)

All four children were born in Los Angeles and the family lived in an 11,000-square-foot home in Los Angeles, California.

Shriver and Schwarzenegger ended their relationship after 25 years of marriage on May 9, 2011, when Shriver moved out of their mansion.

The following week the Los Angeles Times revealed that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son more than 14 years earlier with Mildred Patricia Baena, an employee that worked in their household.

The divorce was then finalized in 2021, a decade after seperating. In June 2022, a jury ruled that Maria Shriver was entitled to half of her ex-husband’s post-divorce savings that he earned from 1986 to 2011.

Schwarzenegger’s son Joseph Baena was born on October 7, 1997. He has since developed a strong relationship with his father and has embraced a fitness-oriented lifestyle.

Summary of Arnold Schwarzenegger