Arnold Schwarzenegger
He transformed his body into a global brand, then flexed his ambition to become one of the world's most improbable political leaders.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Austrian and American actor and Governor of California·Birthday: July 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in a small Austrian village, Arnold Schwarzenegger saw bodybuilding as his ticket to America. He won the Mr. Olympia title seven times, parlaying his sculpted physique into Hollywood stardom with roles that defined 1980s action cinema. Defying all expectations, he then pivoted to politics, serving two terms as Governor of California where he championed environmental policies. His journey from a weight room in Graz to the corridors of power remains a singular tale of self-invention and relentless drive.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Arnold was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arnold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Arnold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding championship seven consecutive times from 1970 to 1975 and again in 1980.
- Starred as the title character in 'The Terminator' (1984), a role that became a cultural landmark.
- Served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011, elected as a Republican in a predominantly Democratic state.
- His film 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991) was a groundbreaking technical achievement and a massive box office success.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'The Austrian Oak' during his bodybuilding career.
He married Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy political family, in 1986.
Before fame, he served a mandatory year in the Austrian army, where he went AWOL to compete in a bodybuilding contest.
He published a comprehensive bodybuilding encyclopedia, 'Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder'.
“I'll be back.”
