Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in 1947 in Austria, celebrating his 73rd birthday on July 30. Since childhood, he dreamed of coming to America to live and work. At the age of 14, Arnold started bodybuilding professionally, using steroid injections to gain muscle. “Fitness is my ticket to America – the land of opportunity. Where I became a star and rich,” he said at a conference in 2003.

Arnold won the bodybuilding competition Mr. Universe 1968 and moved to Los Angeles to live. He continued to practice and win many prestigious awards, and began to look for opportunities to act in films. Some of his early roles had to be voiced because the actors did not speak English very well.

In 1977, he attracted attention with the documentary “Pumping iron” about the bodybuilding profession in the US. Arnold was invited to promote the film at the Cannes Film Festival the same year (photo). Photo: AFP .

In 1982, Arnold made a splash with the movie “Conan the Barbarian”, playing an ancient muscular martial artist. The work was successful at the box office, grossing about 79 million USD. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Arnold Schwarzenegger naturalized the US in 1983, next to his girlfriend Maria Shriver. The two married in 1986 and have four children together. Photo: AP .

Arnold became a Hollywood superstar with “The Terminator” (1984), the movie associated with the actor’s name. He plays the Terminator robot from the future to carry out an assassination mission. The film is preserved at the Library of Congress for its “cultural, historical, and artistic value”.

The “Terminator” franchise continues to grow with multiple installments, spin-offs, and television series with a combined gross of about $3 billion. Photo: MGM .

In the second half of the 1980s, Arnold continued to have many successful films such as Commando (pictured, 1985), Raw Deal (1986), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987) or Red Heat (1988).

In 1990, Arnold made “Total Recall” with a salary of $ 10 million and 15% of the pre-tax revenue. He was one of the most expensive action stars in Hollywood at that time. The actor also had success with the films “Kindergarten Cop” (1990), “True Lies” (1994) and the sequels of the “Terminator” series.

Arnold began to participate in politics, promoting the project to raise the awareness of exercise in schools by President George HW Bush.

In 1997, Arnold played the villain in the blockbuster “Batman & Robin”. In the same year, he was hospitalized for heart valve surgery. Photo: AFP .

After filming the third “Terminator”, Arnold began his campaign for Governor of California. He celebrated his victory with his wife’s family in 2003 (pictured). The actor holds the chair for two terms, until 2011. Photo: AFP .

In 2011, Maria Shriver filed for divorce from Arnold after he confessed to having an illegitimate child with the family’s maid 14 years ago. According to NCB News, it took Arnold eight years to discover the child was his, confessing to his wife after the end of his term as Governor of California. The actor said the divorce was the “biggest failure” of his life.

Joseph Baena – Arnold’s stepson – is the only person to follow his father’s bodybuilding career. He also directly trains his children. Mother and daughter Joseph Baena left Arnold’s house in early 2011, receiving a monthly allowance from the actor. Photo: NY Times .

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to acting, starring in Sylvester Stallone’s blockbuster “The Expendables 2” (2012). The two also collaborated on the action project “Escape Plan” (2013). He also continued to appear in the “Terminator” movies. Photo: Reuters .

Arnold Schwarzenegger at a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017. The two joined hands to form the R20 organization of leading world leaders to tackle climate change. Over the years, the actor has actively participated in activities for the environment, considering it a big problem facing humanity. Photo: AFP .

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger walked with his 27-year-old girlfriend Heather Milligan last year. The two have been dating since 2015, known through the show “The New Celebrity Apprentice”. Photo: Zimbio .