Anecdotes

First introduced to husband-to-be Arnold Schwarzenegger by NBC's Tom Brokaw at a charity tennis tournament in 1977.

Her father had German, Irish, and small amounts of Scottish, English, Dutch, and French Huguenot, ancestry. Her mother was of Irish descent.

Cousin of Rory Kennedy, John Kennedy Jr., Christopher Lawford, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph Kennedy, Patrick Joseph Kennedy II, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kerry Kennedy, Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, Maxwell Kennedy, William Kennedy Smith, Kara Kennedy, Ted Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy, and Pam Shriver.

Daughter of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

The head-and-shoulders photo of Maria on the jacket of her 2018 book - "I've Been Thinking... Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life" - was taken by her son Patrick Schwarzenegger with his iPhone.

Became a grandmother for the first when her daughter Katherine Schwarzenegger gave birth to a baby girl named Lyla Maria Pratt on August 10, 2020.

Mother of Katherine Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger and Christopher Schwarzenegger.

TV newswoman.

Sister of Robert Shriver, Tim Shriver, Mark Shriver and Anthony Shriver.

Her father, (Robert) Sargent Shriver, was U.S. Ambassador to France, 1968-1970.

First lady of California (2003-2011).

Niece of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Patricia Kennedy, and Jean Kennedy Smith.

Granddaughter of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Kennedy. Great-Granddaughter of John Francis Fitzgerald.

Met friend, Nancy O'Dell, in 1993, thru "Best Buddies", an organization started by her brother, Anthony Shriver.

Inducted into the Hair Fan's Hall of Fame in 2015.

Release of her book, "Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question, Little Book, Answer Within". (2008)

Her Aunt Pat (Patricia Kennedy) was once married to actor Peter Lawford.

Release of her book, "What's Happening to Grandpa?". (2004)

Through Richard Owings and his wife Rachel, she is a sixth cousin once removed to filmmaker John Waters.

Attended Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland, an area close to Washington, D.C.

Release of her book, "And One More Thing Before You Go--". (2005)

Born at 5:12pm-CST

Fourth cousin of former tennis star Pam Shriver.

Release of her book, "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known--Before I Went Into the Real World". (2000)

Release of her book, "What's Heaven". (1999)

Son Christopher is in a Los Angeles hospital ICU after a surfing accident on July 17, 2011.

Former daughter-in-law of Aurelia Schwarzenegger.

Born on exactly the same date as Kaki Hunter (of "Porky's" fame).

Is name-dropped in the late Sondra Locke's autobiography. Locke was 11½ years older than Maria but pretended to be a peer. Maria did not even know how old Locke was until the rest of the public found out.

She is the niece of the late American President Kennedy.