Today is the seventy-third birthday of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Born on this day in Austria in 1947, he began his path to fame as a bodybuilder. He won the Mr. Universe title at the age of twenty and went on to win Mr. Olympia seven times. He became the biggest name in the bodybuilding industry and helped to bring the field to public consciousness. During this time he became known for his massive muscles, becoming knwon as the "Austrian Oak," as well as rivalry with fellow competitor Lou Ferrigno.
Schwarzenegger became a worldwide phenomenon as a Hollywood action star. His breakthrough role was in Conan the Barbarian in 1982 and 1984 sequel Conan the Destroyer. His most iconic role, that provided him with his most well-known line, was as the title character in The Terminator. He replaced Lance Henriksen as the cybernetic assassin, who went on to play another role, and appeared with Paul Winfield and Earl Boen. He would go on to appear in three sequels with his likeness used in a fourth. Roles like Commando, The Running Man, Predator, Total Recall, and True Lies established him as one of biggest names in the film industry and gave him a reputation for big action scenes and witty one-liners. He joined numerous other well-known actors in creating the Planet Hollywood restaurant franchise. He is one of the few public figures whose first name became synonymous with him, possibly due to his last name being so difficult to spell without checking.
Not content to be just an actor, he also pushed his way into American politics. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1983, while getting special permission from the Austrian government to allow him dual citizenship. He appeared in government sponsored anti-drug messages and was the first chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 2003 he was elected to the office of Governor of the state of California during a special recall of the state's then-governor. He was reelected in 2006 and served until 2011. During this time he got the nickname the "Governator." This title inspired a brief animated series co-created by Stan Lee. He has also joked about running for President, though that would require a change to the Constitution first.
Schwarzenegger since returned to acting, most notably appearing in The Expendables series alongside Terry Crews, and hosted The Celebrity Apprentice for a season. While not quite the height of fame he was in the 1980s and '90s, he remains a well known figure as well as one of the richest actors and politicians in the country.