FILE: Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 60

Actor-turned-politician, Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 60 on Monday, July 30 Schwarzenegger was born in the small town of Thal, Austria in 1947. During the post-war years, he turned to bodybuilding as a ticket out of the rural backwater. In 1968, "Arnie" as he has become known to fans, came to the United States and began to transform the bodybuilding scene. His first outing in show business was the 1970 farcical low-budget "Hercules in New York." He next appeared in the ground-breaking documentary "Pumping Iron" in 1977. From these early beginnings, Schwarzenegger displayed a fiery ambition and swagger that would become his trademark. In 1984, he starred in "The Terminator" - an iconic role that launched him as a confirmed action star. "Commando" followed in 1985, leading to "Predator," "The Running Man," and "Red Heat." Arnie then took a few good-natured pokes at his tough guy image in 1988's "Twins" and 1990's "Kindergarten Cop." This past summer, Schwarzenegger returned for a third and fourth instalment of "The Terminator" franchise. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to become the 38th Governor of California on November 17, 2003. As a politician Schwarzenegger has gone on to champion the cause of the environment made environmental concerns one of the top priorities on his political agenda. In 2007 Governor Schwarzenegger, travelled to London (June 26) to meet with Tony Blair for in London for talks on global warming.

ITN Source | August 1, 2007

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