Ben Weider
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2007) |
Ben Weider IFBB | |
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Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Relatives | Joe Weider (brother, deceased) Eric Weider (son) |
Website | www |
Benjamin Weider,
He wrote several books about Napoleon, including best seller The Murder of Napoleon, translated to 45 languages.
Family
Benjamin Weider was born 1 February 1923 in the old Jewish immigrant quarter ("the Main") of
Military service
In 1942, he enlisted in the Canadian Army, serving in the 6th Duke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars, in which he did intelligence work as a member of the Canadian Intelligence Corps.[4] Ben Weider served in the Canadian Army during World War II.
Fitness business
Weider and his brother, started a mimeographed magazine (Your Fitness) to promote weightlifting and sell exercise equipment, which expanded into other titles including Flex, Muscle & Fitness, Men's Fitness, and Fit Pregnancy. The magazines were sold in 2003 to American Media.[5]
The brothers are attributed with creating
In 1968, the brothers brought Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was then an unknown Austrian bodybuilder, to California.[2]
He co-founded the
Ben Weider opened a number of gyms around the world, including in Lebanon.[7]
Historical research
Weider was known as an advocate of the theory that Napoleon was assassinated with arsenic poisoning by a member of his entourage during his exile in Saint Helena. Weider had even obtained authenticated Napoleon hair samples and arranged for forensic tests that showed that Napoleon had been poisoned with arsenic.[8] He co-authored several Napoleonic history books including, Assassination at St. Helena, Assassination at St. Helena Revisited and The Murder of Napoleon. The Murder of Napoleon became one of the best-selling history books of all time, now with editions in 45 languages.[8]
Weider also founded the International Napoleonic Society, of which he was the president, and wrote numerous articles for this organization.[9]
Weider owned an extensive collection of Napoleon memorabilia. He donated this collection to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in the world.[10][11]
In 2006, the
Religion
Weider was a Jewish Anglophone. He financially assisted the rebuilding of Montreal's Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral. Jean-Claude Turcotte, the Roman Catholic Cardinal, said of him that Ben Weider was "One of the greatest Montrealers I ever knew".[5]
Awards
Weider was made a Member of the
From 1998 to 2005, Weider was
In 2003, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro in 2003.[2]
In 2008, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Anniversary
In 2014, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame[18] along with Joe and Betty Weider.
Death
Weider died on October 17, 2008, at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.[3][4]
In popular culture
The film Bigger was released in 2018 on the life of Ben Weider and his brother Joe Weider.[19]
Published works
Books
- Weider B., and Forshufvud S., Assassination At St. Helena: The Poisoning of Napoleon Bonaparte (1978). ISBN 9780888360281[20]
- Weider B., and Hapgood D. The Murder of Napoleon (1982).ISBN 978-0865530355 [21]
- Weider, B., and Kennedy, R. Superpump!: Hardcore Women's Bodybuilding (1986). ISBN 9780806948003[22]
- Weider, B. and ISBN 978-0471126775[23]
- Weider, B. The Murder of Napoleon (1998).ISBN 0312925484[24]
- Weider, B. Louis Cyr: Amazing Canadian (2000). ISBN 0926888099[25]
- Weider, B., Weider, J., and Gastelu, D., The Edge (2002).ISBN 1583331441[27]
- Weider B., Weider J., Schwarzenegger A., Brothers of Iron: Building the Weider Empire (2006) ISBN 1596701242
- Franceschi, M., and Weider B. Wars Against Napoleon: Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars (2007). ISBN 1932714375[28]
Journal articles
- Weider B., and Fournier J.H., Activation analyses of authenticated hairs of Napoleon Bonaparte confirm arsenic poisoning (1999).[29]
- Weider B., and Fournier J., The Death of Napoleon (1999).[30]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Jerry D. Morelock (October 20, 2008). "In Memory of Ben Weider, 1923-2008". Armchair General. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021. Alt URL
- ^ a b c "Bodybuilding Legend Ben Weider Dies". Club Industry. October 20, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ a b CTV News Staff (October 18, 2008). "Montreal body building guru Ben Weider dies". CTV News. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c Grimes, William (October 20, 2008). "Ben Weider, 85, a Bodybuilding Pioneer". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Carlson, Michael (December 2, 2008). "Ben Weider". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021.
- ^ "About". Weider.com. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- from the original on July 21, 2021.
- ^ Montreal Gazette. October 19, 2008. Archivedfrom the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Weider, Ben. "Napoleon and the Jews". Napoleon 1st. Archived from the original on September 7, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Hustak, Alan (September 23, 2008). "Bonaparted". CanWest News Service. Montreal (Quebec). Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- Canada.com.
- ^ Weir, Alison (December 6, 2012). "The Empire Behind World's Largest History Magazine Chain: How American History Magazine Censored Palestine". If America Knew. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- Montreal Gazette. October 21, 2008. Archived from the originalon February 23, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- Canada.com.
- ^ "About the Institution". Institution of Napoleon and the French Revolution. History Department of Florida State University. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "The Ben Weider Story". Ben Weider.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "Ben Weider". International Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Dr. Robert Goldman (March 11, 2014). "2014 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ "Bigger". IMDb. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-583-48150-9. Amazon-ASIN=1583481508.
- ^ Weider, Ben; Hapgood, David (1982). The Murder of Napoleon. New York: Congdon & Lattes : Distributed by St. Martin's Press.
- ISBN 978-1-583-33126-2. Amazon-ASIN=0806948000.
- .
- ISBN 978-1-583-48150-9. Amazon-ASIN=1583481508.
- ISBN 978-0-471-12677-5. Amazon-ASIN=0926888099.
- ISBN 978-1-583-33126-2. Amazon-ASIN=1583331263.
- ISBN 978-1-862-27223-1. Amazon-ASIN=1862272239.
- PMID 10624934. Amazon-ASIN=1932714375. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.)
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ignored (help - from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
External links
- Ben Weider's last interview with Carol Off of CBC Radio 'As It Happens', discussing his multi-million dollar donation of Napoleon artifacts to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, broadcast September 25, 2008 (move time slider to 20 mins, 45 secs to start)
- IFBB Professional League for interest in professional bodybuilding, health and fitness
- International Napoleonic Society website
- Mexico-France Napoleonic Institute official website
- Ben Weider Memorial of the Fellow-Members of Honor of the International Napoleonic Society Archived October 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- Brothers of Iron: How the Weider Brothers Created the Fitness Movement and Built a Business Empire by Joe Weider and Ben Weider, with Mike Steere, published by Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2006
- Order of Canada citation
- Pillar of Achievement mention in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
- Ben Weider: Canadian Casts Doubt on French History