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.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at 71. From his rise in the WWF to pop culture stardom, we look back on the larger-than-life icon who defined Hulkamania.