For a policeman's son born in a tiny village near Graz, Austria, Arnold Swartzenager has done pretty well for himself. In 1968 Arnold Swartzenager arrived here in America completely broke and unable to speak English. The most recent estimate of Arnold's net worth today is more than $800 million. On August 6, 2003 Arnold Swartzenager announced his candidacy in California's recall election on NBC's “Jay Leno Show.” On the night of October 7 the Austrian-American actor made his victory speech in Los Angeles, introduced by Jay Leno. Although Gray Davis had made fun of Arnold's Austrian accent during the race, Swartzenager managed to turn the contest into a two-man race between him and Davis, and to prove that the political scene in California is a horse of a different color (zu Deutsch: Da pfeifft es aus einem anderen Loch).
Immediately after Arnold Swartzenager's announcement we were inundated with movie-title puns such as Total Recall and Governator, but in the end, Arnold proved the joke was on Gray Davis. People that underestimate Arnold Swartzenager do not realize that he is possibly the most driven and goal oriented person to ever walk this planet. If money, fame, and power define success, then Arnold would have to be classified as one of the most successful people in the history of the world. Arnold Swartzenager's ambition and determination to succeed may well one day propel him into the White House if Congress ever makes an amendment to the Constitution allowing a foreign born citizen to be elected President. To cast a little more light on this one of a kind person, here is a brief biography of Arnold Swartzenager
Biography
1947 - Arnold Alois Swartzenager is born on July 30 in the hamlet of Thal bei Graz, about 7 km (4 mi) from Graz, the capital of Styria (die Steiermark).
1947 - Arnold is the second son of Aurelia Jadrny Swartzenager and policeman Gustav Swartzenager (Gendarmerie-Kommandant).
1966 - Wins Mr. Europe title as a bodybuilder
1967 - Becomes Mr. Universe (a title he won five times)
1968 - Arnold Swartzenager goes to America and America will never be the same again.
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 Swartzenager dies in Weiz, Styria, where he had been transferred as a police official. Arnold does not attend his father's funeral (however, he DID have a great relationship with his father).
1977 - Meets TV journalist Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan, at a tennis tournament.
1977 - The documentary film about bodybuilding, "Pumping Iron" is released. "Pumping Iron" is a huge success and launches Arnold's movie career. The influence of "Pumping Iron" is so great that it starts a silent but huge cultural revolution in the United States and worldwide, taking bodybuilding out of the dark backroom gyms and propels working out with weights (once only done by a small minority of people who were considered weird before the release of the film) to the number one activity of Americans. By the mid 1980's more than 50 million Americans have joined either gyms or health clubs in the now fashionable pursuit to pump iron and grow some muscles.
1979 - Arnold Swartzenager earns a business B.A. from the University of Wisconsin
1980 - Arnold comes out of bodybuilding retirement to win his 7th Mr. Olympia title in a very controversial victory. Two of the top bodybuilders and competitors in the contest, Mike Mentzer and Boyer Coe (both Mr. Universe title winners) retire from bodybuilding competition in protest to the judging that allowed Arnold to be declared the winner of the 1980 Mr. Olympia. Arnold Swartzenager was in great shape for the 1980 contest but was clearly not as good as when he retired from bodybuilding competition in 1975.
1982 - The movie "Conan, the Barbarian" is released and is a big success, establishing Arnold Swartzenager as a real box office draw and genuine movie star.
1984 - Becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen on Sept. 16 - by his own admission it was one of his most cherished accomplishments.
1984 - The first Terminator film puts Arnold Swartzenager firmly into the “superstar” category.
1986 - Arnold Swartzenager and Maria Shriver 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” and becomes the world's number one box office draw at the movies.
1990 - Named chairman of President George Bush's Council on Physical Fitness. In following years Swartzenager 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 - Swartzenager 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 Arnold Swartzenager'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 Arnold Swartzenager's mother dies in Weiz.
1998 - Arnold Swartzenager sues two paparazzi for endangering his pregnant wife — and wins.
2003 - On Aug. 6, Arnold Swartzenager announces that he will run for California governor as a Republican in the state's Gray Davis recall election.
2003 - Arnold Swartzenager makes his victory speech on the night of October 7.
Films
Hercules in New York (1970, billed as Arnold Strong, Swartzenager's lines had to be dubbed because the producers fot he movie felt his long name and Austrian accent were inappropriate for the movie business.)
The Long Goodbye (1973, Der Tod kennt keine Wiederkehr, as Arnold Strong)
Pumping Iron (1977)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
The Terminator (1984)
Red Sonja (1985)
Predator (1987)
Twins (1988)
Total Recall (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Last Action Hero (1993)
True Lies (1994)
Eraser (1996)
Batman & Robin (1997, as Mr. Freeze)
Collateral Damage (2002)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
And who better to provide insights into Arnold at this pivotal time of his life than those he lived, trained, ate, partied, worked and competed with? Several champions and bodybuilder insiders of the 1970s and '80s speak out about their time with Arnold, how he influenced them, his mindset and what made him one of a kind.
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