Date of birth 30 July 1947 Birth place Thal, Styria, Austria Birth name Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger Nickname Arnie, Austrian Oak, Conan the Republican, Styrian Oak, The Governator Height 6' 2" (1.88 m)   Arnold is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California.

Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a town bordering the Styrian capital, Graz, and christened Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger. His parents were the local police chief Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907 – 1972), and his wife, the former Aurelia Jadrny (1922 – 1998), who had been married on October 20, 1945, when he was 38 and she was a 23-year-old widow. Arnold had a good relationship with his mother and kept in touch with her until her death.

Growing up in a small, isolated village in Austria, he turned to bodybuilding as his ticket to a better life. Prior to that he served a mandatory one year in the Austrian military (beginning in 1965). After conquering the world as arguably the greatest bodybuilder who ever lived, he went to America to make his name in motion pictures. Hampered by his impossible name and thick accent, success eluded him for many years. It wasn't until he found the tailor-made role of Conan that he truly came into his own as a performer. A succession of over-the-top action films made him an international box office star. By alternating violent action films with lighter, comedic fare, he has solidified his position as one of the most popular - if not the most popular - movie stars in the world. After his long, and successful movie career, he ran in the California recall. He is now the Governor of California, yet another celebrity to be elected to the position.

In 1986, Schwarzenegger married TV journalist Maria Shriver, niece of the past President of the United States John F. Kennedy. The couple have four children: daughters Katherine (born December 13, 1989) and Christina (b. July 23, 1991), and sons Patrick (b. September 18, 1993) and Christopher (b. September 27, 1997). By the age of 30, Schwarzenegger was a millionaire, well before his career in Hollywood. His financial independence came from a series of successful business ventures and investments.