Born Terry Gene Bollea and raised in Florida, Hogan found fame in the 1980s after triumphing over Iron Sheik to become the World Wrestling Federation’s heavyweight winner. The win sparked a phenomenon in the wrestling world known as “Hulkmania,” which he leveraged into a career outside of the sport through which he first rose to prominence.

The pro wrestler, who died on Thursday, leveraged patriotism and a demand for dominance to become a self-spun celebrity whose career catalyzed and mirrored the shifting zeitgeist.