Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, in 1947, in a small village bordering the Styrian capital Graz. Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army in 1965 to fulfill the one year of service required at the time of all 18-year-old Austrian males. During his army service, he won the Junior Mr. Europe contest. In 1967, Schwarzenegger won the title of Mr. Universe for the first time, becoming the youngest ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20. He would go on to win the title three more times.
Schwarzanegger moved to the U.S. in 1968 at the age of 21. In 1970, at age 23, he captured his first Mr. Olympia title in New York, and would go on to win the title a total of seven times. Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition. For many years, he wrote a monthly column for the bodybuilding magazines Muscle & Fitness and Flex. Shortly after being elected Governor, he was appointed executive editor of both magazines, in a largely symbolic capacity. The magazines agreed to donate $250,000 a year to the Governor's various physical fitness initiatives. The magazine MuscleMag International has a monthly two-page article on him, and refers to him as "The King".
Aside from bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger has been a successful actor, businessman, investor, and politician. He served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011. Among his titles are: "Arnie": Schwarzenegger and the Movies, Governor Arnold: A Photodiary of His First 100 Days in Office, and Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story which made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012.
(Bowker Author Biography)
