The Governor: From Graz Muscle Man to Movie Star -- Born Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (the last name, in German, means "black plowman") on July 30, 1947, in Thal, a suburb of Graz, Arnold is now the governor of California -- and are the home folks ever proud. So proud, in fact, that many of them wanted to build a $5-million, 24m-tall (79-ft.) steel statue of him, until local media convinced residents the money should be better spent on local charities. In Graz, Arnold began lifting weights at age 15. By 20, he was named Mr. Universe and went on to win 13 titles, including Mr. Olympia and Mr. World.
Locals call him Sterische Eiche, or the Styrian Oak. His name is now so big he's causing hundreds upon hundreds of visitors to flock to see his hometown. Naturally, all the aspirant young bodybuilders in Graz use Arnold as their role model and collect pictures of him, showing how "Li'l Arnie" (his young nickname in Graz) went from girlie man to burly man.
