103 Facts About Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura was born on James George Janos; July 15,1951 and is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler.

Jesse Ventura was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate to win a major government office.

Jesse Ventura entered politics in 1991 when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a position he held until 1995.

Jesse Ventura was the Reform Party candidate in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election, running a low-budget campaign centered on grassroots events and unusual ads that urged citizens not to "vote for politics as usual".

Amid internal fights for control over the party, Jesse Ventura left the Reform Party a year after taking office and served the remainder of his term as governor as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota.

Since holding public office, Jesse Ventura has called himself a "statesman" rather than a politician.

Jesse Ventura has since hosted a number of political television shows on RT America and Ora TV, and written several books.

Jesse Ventura has been a prominent figure in third party politics, having repeatedly floated the idea of running for President of the United States as an independent candidate.

In late April 2020, Jesse Ventura endorsed the Green Party in the 2020 presidential election and showed interest in running for its nomination.

Jesse Ventura was born James George Janos on July 15,1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of George William Janos and his wife, Bernice Martha.

Jesse Ventura has an older brother who served in the Vietnam War.

Jesse Ventura has described himself as Slovak since his father's parents were from Slovakia; his mother was of German descent.

Jesse Ventura served in the United States Navy from December 1,1969, to September 10,1975, during the Vietnam War, but did not see combat.

Jesse Ventura has frequently referred to his military career in public statements and debates.

Jesse Ventura would ride onto Naval Base Coronado on his Harley-Davidson wearing his Mongol "colors".

In November 2018, Jesse Ventura testified as an expert witness on behalf of the Mongols in a federal racketeering trial in Santa Ana, California, defending the club against the government's allegations characterizing the Mongols as a criminal enterprise.

Jesse Ventura attended North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, during the mid-1970s.

Jesse Ventura was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones for a time before entering professional wrestling and adopting the wrestling name Jesse Ventura.

Years later, as a broadcaster, Jesse Ventura made a running joke out of claiming that Graham stole all his ring attire ideas from him.

Jesse Ventura later moved to his hometown promotion, the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota and began teaming with Adrian Adonis as the "East-West Connection" in 1979.

Jesse Ventura continued to wrestle until September 1984 after 3 back-to-back losses to world champion Hulk Hogan, when blood clots in his lungs effectively ended his in-ring career.

Jesse Ventura claimed that the clots were a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam.

Jesse Ventura returned to the ring in 1985, forming a tag-team with Randy Savage and Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth.

Jesse Ventura participated in a six-man tag-team match in December 1985 when he, Roddy Piper, and Bob Orton defeated Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, and Cousin Luke in a match broadcast on Saturday Night's Main Event IV.

Jesse Ventura began to do color commentary on television for All-Star Wrestling, replacing Angelo Mosca, and later Superstars of Wrestling, initially alongside Vince McMahon and the semi-retired Sammartino, and then just with McMahon after Sammartino's departure from the WWF in early 1988.

McMahon, who was always looking for ways of jazzing things up, came up with the idea of Jesse Ventura doing heel commentary at a time when most commentators, including McMahon himself, openly favored the fan favorites.

Since they were both fan favorites, Jesse Ventura took a neutral position in his commentary, even praising Hogan's display of sportsmanship at the end of the match when he handed over the WWF Championship belt to the Warrior after he lost the title, stating that Hogan was going out like a true champion.

Jesse Ventura later served as a radio announcer for a few National Football League teams, among them the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In February 1992 at SuperBrawl II, Jesse Ventura joined World Championship Wrestling as a commentator.

In 1987, while negotiating his contract as a WWF commentator, Jesse Ventura waived his rights to royalties on videotape sales when he was falsely told that only feature performers received such royalties.

Titan moved the case to federal court, and Jesse Ventura won an $801,333 jury verdict on the last claim.

In mid-1999, Jesse Ventura reappeared on WWF television during his term as governor of Minnesota, acting as the special guest referee for main event of SummerSlam held in Minneapolis.

Jesse Ventura continued his relationship with the WWF by performing commentary for Vince McMahon's short-lived XFL.

Trump affirmed that Jesse Ventura would receive his moral and financial support were he to ever reenter politics.

Jesse Ventura was guest host on the November 23,2009, episode of Raw, during which he retained his heel persona by siding with the number one contender Sheamus over WWE Champion John Cena.

Jesse Ventura then made the match a Table match at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

Jesse Ventura appeared in the movie Predator, whose cast included future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and future Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Sonny Landham.

Jesse Ventura became close friends with Schwarzenegger during the production of Predator.

Jesse Ventura appeared in two episodes of Zorro filmed in Madrid, Spain, in 1991.

Jesse Ventura had a starring role in the 1990 sci-fi movie Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe.

Jesse Ventura made a cameo appearance in Major League II as "White Lightning".

Jesse Ventura appeared as a self-help guru in The Ringer, trying to turn Johnny Knoxville into a more confident worker.

Jesse Ventura had a cameo in The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" as a Man in Black alongside fellow 'MiB' Alex Trebek.

In 2008, Jesse Ventura was in the independent comedy Woodshop, starring as high school shop teacher Mr Madson.

Jesse Ventura was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones in the late 1970s and 1980s.

In 1989, Jesse Ventura co-hosted the four episodes of the DiC Entertainment children's program Record Breakers: World of Speed along with Gary Apple.

Jesse Ventura co-hosted the short-lived syndicated game show The Grudge Match alongside sportscaster Steve Albert.

Jesse Ventura had a brief role on the television soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1999.

Jesse Ventura has been criticized by the press for profiting from his heightened popularity.

Jesse Ventura was hired as a television analyst for the failed XFL football league in 2001, served as a referee at a WWF SummerSlam match in 1999, and published several books during his tenure as governor.

Jesse Ventura had a guest spot on an episode of the 2012 rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series on Nickelodeon.

Jesse Ventura defeated the city's 25-year incumbent mayor and served from 1991 to 1995.

Jesse Ventura ran for governor of Minnesota in 1998 as the Reform Party of Minnesota nominee.

Jesse Ventura won the election in November 1998, narrowly and unexpectedly defeating the major-party candidates, Republican St Paul mayor Norm Coleman and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Attorney General Hubert H "Skip" Humphrey III.

Jesse Ventura later told a Boston Globe reporter that he would have run for a second term if he had been single, citing the media's effect on his family life.

Jesse Ventura sparked media criticism when, nearing the end of his term, he suggested that he might resign from office early to allow his lieutenant governor, Mae Schunk, an opportunity to serve as governor.

Jesse Ventura further said that he wanted her to be the state's first female governor and have her portrait painted and hung in the Capitol along with the other governors'.

Jesse Ventura quickly retreated from the comments, saying he was just floating an idea.

In political debates, Jesse Ventura often admitted that he had not formed an opinion on certain policy questions.

Jesse Ventura vetoed 45 bills in his first year, only three of which were overridden.

The state was running a budget surplus at the time, and Jesse Ventura believed the money should be returned.

Later, Jesse Ventura came to support a unicameral legislature, property tax reform, gay rights, medical marijuana, and abortion rights.

Later, on the subject of a 2012 referendum on amending the Minnesota Constitution to limit marriage to male-female couples, Jesse Ventura said, "I certainly hope that people don't amend our constitution to stop gay marriage because, number one, the constitution is there to protect people, not oppress them", and related a story from his wrestling days of a friend who was denied hospital visitation to his same-sex partner.

Jesse Ventura greatly disapproved of some of the events at the 2002 memorial for Senator Paul Wellstone, his family, and others who died in a plane crash on October 25,2002.

Jesse Ventura left halfway through the controversial speech made by Wellstone's best friend, Rick Kahn.

Jesse Ventura initially planned to appoint a Democrat to Wellstone's seat, but instead appointed Dean Barkley to represent Minnesota in the Senate until Wellstone's term expired in January 2003.

Jesse Ventura, who ran on a Reform Party ticket and advocated for a greater role for third parties in American politics, is highly critical of both Democrats and Republicans.

Jesse Ventura sought attorney's fees as a sanction for the filing of a frivolous petition for recall, but that request was denied on the ground that there was no statutory authority for such an award.

Jesse Ventura was criticized for mishandling the Minnesota state budget, with Minnesota state economist Tom Stinson noting that the statewide capital gain fell from $9 billion to $4 billion between 2000 and 2001.

Jesse Ventura had vetoed this budget, but the state legislature overrode him.

In 2002, Jesse Ventura's poor handling of the Minnesota state budget was exploited at the national level by CNN journalist Matthew Cooper.

Jesse Ventura called reporters "media jackals," a term that even appeared on the press passes required to enter his press area.

Jesse Ventura initially responded angrily to the satire, but later said Keillor "makes Minnesota proud".

Jesse Ventura later apologized for the remark, saying it was not intended to be taken seriously.

On Larry King Live on July 14,2008, Jesse Ventura said he would not run, partly out of concern for his family's privacy.

Jesse Ventura spoke at Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic", organized by the Campaign for Liberty, on September 2,2008, and implied a possible future run for president.

On November 4,2011, Jesse Ventura said at a press conference about the dismissal of his court case against the Transportation Security Administration for what he claimed were illegal searches of air travelers that he was "thinking about" running for president.

In late 2015, Jesse Ventura publicly flirted with the idea of running for president in 2016 as a Libertarian but allowed his self-imposed deadline of May 1 to pass.

Jesse Ventura expressed an openness to be either Donald Trump's running mate or Bernie Sanders's running mate in 2016.

Jesse Ventura tried to officially endorse Sanders but his endorsement was rejected.

Jesse Ventura expressed interest in running for president again in 2020, but said he would do so only under the Green Party banner.

Jesse Ventura knows he can never out-talk a wrestler, and he knows I'm the greatest talker wrestling's ever had.

Jesse Ventura said he would write in his own name in the presidential election, but would support Green candidates in down-ballot races.

Jesse Ventura was succeeded in office on January 6,2003, by Republican Tim Pawlenty.

Jesse Ventura has alleged it was canceled because he opposed the Iraq War.

Jesse Ventura wrote DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government, which was released on June 11,2012.

On July 31,2014, Jesse Ventura launched a weekly podcast, We The People, distributed by Adam Carolla's "Carolla Digital", which ran until March 4,2015.

Bill Salisbury, an attorney in San Diego and a former Navy SEAL officer, has accused Jesse Ventura of "pretending" to be a SEAL.

Jesse Ventura wrote that Ventura blurred an important distinction by claiming to be a SEAL when he was actually a frogman with the UDT.

Jesse Ventura had to first successfully complete a six-month probationary period in the Teams.

Jesse Ventura was never granted the Navy Enlisted Classification 5326 Combatant Swimmer designation, which requires a six-month probationary period with SEAL TEAM ONE or TWO.

In 1983, eight years after Jesse Ventura left the Navy, the UDTs were disbanded, and those operators were retrained and retasked as a SEALs.

Jesse Ventura's spokesman said that Ventura has never tried to convince people otherwise.

In January 2011, Jesse Ventura filed a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration, seeking a declaration that the agency's new controversial pat-down policy violated citizens' Fourth Amendment rights and an injunction to bar the TSA from subjecting him to the pat-down procedures.

Jesse Ventura received a titanium hip replacement in 2008 that sets off metal detectors at airport security checkpoints.

In January 2012, after Kyle declined to retract his statement, Jesse Ventura sued Kyle for defamation in federal court.

In 2013, while the lawsuit was ongoing, Kyle was murdered in an unrelated incident, and Jesse Ventura substituted Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle's widow and the executor of his estate, as the defendant.

In December 2014, Jesse Ventura sued publisher HarperCollins over the same statement in American Sniper.

On July 18,1975, three days after his 24th birthday, Jesse Ventura married his wife Terry.

Tyrel had the honor of inducting his father into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004, and worked on Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, including as an investigator in the show's third season.

Jesse Ventura admitted this after retiring from competition, and went on to make public service announcements and appear in printed ads and on posters warning young people about the potential dangers and potential health risks of abusing steroids.

In 2002, Jesse Ventura was hospitalized for a severe blood clot in his lungs, the same kind of injury that ended his wrestling career.

In 1999, Jesse Ventura said in an NBC News interview that he was baptized a Lutheran, but he later came out as an atheist on The Joe Rogan Experience.