Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin is an actor and former professional wrestler for the WWE.

Only weeks after debuting in the WCW in 1991, Austin won the WCW Television Championship from Bobby Eaton. Austin's success would continue through 1995, teaming with Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blonds. The Blonds would win the WCW Tag Team Championship two months after their formation, and following the Blonds' split-up, Austin won the WCW United States Championship from Dustin Rhodes.

In 1995, WCW Vice President Eric Bischoff fired Austin via mail, since Austiwas out with an injury and the company didn't find him to be a "marketable" star.

After a brief stint in ECW, Austin entered the WWE in 1995 as the "Ringmaster." The gimmick did not last long, and at the 1996 King of the Ring, Austin coined the term "Austin 3:16," which marked the start of his surge in popularity.

His foul-mouthed, beer-swilling antics sparked the ire of WWE owner Vince McMahon in the late 1990s. Their authority-versus-common-man feud almost single-handedly turned the company's fortunes around, attracting higher ratings and merchandise sales across the globe.

After years of knee and neck injuries, Austin wrestled his last match at WrestleMania XIX, losing to The Rock in their third WrestleMania encounter. Austin has since focused on his movie career, starring in The Longest Yard and The Condemned.

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• December 18, 1964: Born

• 1996: Joins the World Wrestling Federation

• 1998-1999: Steve Austin celebrates after winning the WWF Championship

• 1999-2000: Guest stars on Nash Bridges

• 2005: The Longest Yard

• 2007: The Condemned, legally changes name from Steve Williams to Steve Austin