Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972) is an American actor and third-generation professional wrestler, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment as The Rock.
He's 35!
Born in Hayward, California, Johnson first gained mainstream fame as a standout in the then-World Wrestling Federation. He was originally known in the promotion as Rocky Maivia, in homage to his father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia. His mother, Ata Maivia, was a Samoan of royal lineage of Samoa.
He holds the record for most reigns as WWF/E Champion, having held the title seven times before he left the business in 2004.
As he entered 11th grade, Johnson's father's job required his relocation to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the state's rugged Lehigh Valley region. For Johnson, the Lehigh Valley proved a huge cultural shift from what he had known and seen in the San Francisco Bay Area in his early youth. But Johnson welcomed the change and assimilated quickly in the new area. In Bethlehem, Johnson began to cultivate an intense athleticism, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He began playing football at Bethlehem's Freedom High School, a member of what was then known as the East Penn Conference (recently renamed the Lehigh Valley Conference). The conference was - and continues to be - one of the highest quality high school football and wrestling conferences in the United States. In football, the conference has produced a considerable amount of high-level Division I collegiate and NFL football talent.
Known for its blue collar ruggedness, the Lehigh Valley proved a hand-in-glove match for Johnson, who fit in well with the area's street toughness. That toughness carried to his football play, where Johnson began, for the first time, to face high quality players and began to excel amidst the area's extraordinary athletic competitiveness. He would later credit the high level of athletic competitiveness he encountered in the Lehigh Valley with building the foundation for his life-long passion for winning and embracing challenge. In addition to playing football at Freedom High School, he also was a member of the high school's track and field team.
Johnson has said one of his most enduring athletic memories was his participation on the Freedom High School football team when they beat cross-town rival Liberty High School in his senior year, saying: "I can still remember holding that trophy up in the air, running a lap with it. We had an awful year my senior year, but as long as we beat Liberty, nothing else mattered".
Personal Life:
Johnson married Dany Garcia on May 3, 1997, 24 hours after his 25th birthday. Johnson and Garcia originally met when both were students at the University of Miami. Garcia is founder of a wealth-management firm, JDM Partners, in Miami. His best man was fellow wrestler and longtime family friend Tonga "Haku" Fifita. He and Garcia have a daughter together, Simone Alexandra "Pebbles" Alexandra, who was born August 14, 2001 in Davie, Florida. He is also a good friend of former WWE six time champion Steve Austin in real life.
Other May 2nd Birthdays:
Engelbert Humperdinck-Singer -71
Larry Gatlin-Country Singer -59
Christine Baranski-Actress -55
Elizabeth Berridge-Actress -45
Jenna Von Oy-Actress/Blossom -30
Kay Panabaker-Actress/Summerland -17
Published 5/1/07 by
Allie Is Wired
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Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson win Season 9 Dancing With The Stars. Thoughts?
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