Arnold Schwarzenegger Biography

2007-08-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

1947 - Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is born on July 30 in the hamlet of Thal bei Graz, about 10 km (6 mi) from Graz, the capital of Styria (die Steiermark).
1947 - Arnold is the second son of Aurelia Jadrny Schwarzenegger and policeman Gustav Schwarzenegger (Gendarmerie-Kommandant).
1962 - Arnold begins serious bodybuilding training at a gym in Graz.
1965 - Arnold joins the Austrian army as a tank driver, but continues his bodybuilding.
1966 - Arnold leaves Thal for good and wins Mr. Europe title as a bodybuilder in Munich.
1967 - Becomes Mr. Universe (a title he won five times)
1968 - Arnold goes to America.
1970 - Wins title of Mr. World; becomes Mr. Olympia, a title he will hold each year until 1975
1971 - Arnold's older brother Meinhard is killed in an auto accident. Meinhard's son now lives and works in Los Angeles.
1972 - Gustav Schwarzenegger dies in Weiz, Styria, where he had been transferred as a police official. Arnold does not attend his father's funeral.
1977 - Meets TV journalist Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan, at a tennis tournament; wins his 7th Mr. Olympia title
1979 - Earns a business B.A. from the University of Wisconsin
1984 - Becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen on Sept. 16
1984 - The first Terminator film puts Schwarzenegger firmly into the “superstar” category.
1986 - Schwarzenegger and Maria Schriver marry on August 26. They currently have four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher.
1987 - Gets his own star on Hollywood's “Walk of Fame”
1990 - Named chairman of President George Bush's Council on Physical Fitness. In following years Schwarzenegger will be active in promoting the Special Olympics and as a prominent figure in Republican politics at the state and national level.
1991 - Receives Simon Wiesenthal Center “Humanity Prize” for his efforts in increasing Holocaust awareness
1991 - Schwarzenegger partners with fellow stars Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone to found the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain.
1997 - Receives Simon Wiesenthal Center “Leadership Award” for his efforts in increasing Holocaust awareness
1997 - Undergoes an operation to repair a heart valve. Some claim Schwarzenegger's admitted use of steroids during his bodybuilding years caused his heart problems.
1997 - In June, Arnold and his wife attend ceremonies in Graz for the dedication of a stadium named in honor of the hometown hero.
1998 - In August Schwarzenegger's mother dies in Weiz.
1998 - Schwarzenegger sues two paparazzi for endangering his pregnant wife—and wins.
2003 - On August 6, during taping of Jay Leno's “Tonight Show,” Schwarzenegger announces that he will run for California governor as a Republican in the state's Gray Davis recall election.
2003 - Schwarzenegger makes his victory speech on the night of October 7. The 56-year-old Austrian takes his oath of office in Sacramento on November 17, 2003.

Source: About.com

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