Nothing cemented my love for Arnold and his movies more than the first time I saw Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the theater in July of 1991. It was summer, I was 13 and pumped beyond belief to see this movie from the moment I saw that first amazing teaser of the T-800 getting assembled, revealing Arnold's body and face at the end with his immortal promise "I'll be back."
I followed the production in film magazines (pre-internet of course). I watched the Guns N' Roses music video for "You Could Be Mine" on MTV. I had seen a few Arnold movies like Predator and Kindergarten Cop, but I'd only caught parts of The Terminator from late night cable, as my parents hadn't let me rent it. Still, I was familiar with the story and knew Arnold returning as a killer cyborg, fighting a new liquid metal T-1000, would be the most badass thing ever. And dang, was I right. I practically lived in my hometown's movie theater through the whole summer, seeing it again every chance I could. It completely blew even my highest expectations away for how cool Arnold could be, how tense and exciting the action could be, how gorgeous it could all look, and how Brad Fiedel's music amped everything up and brought it all together. Plus, I was the same age as Eddie Furlong, and also wanted my own Terminator! 
My fandom of Arnold snowballed from there: seeing each of his movies, reading about his life, meeting him in person, calling myself "The Gillinator" and making G1+G2 movies, speaking with his accent most of the time, making a fan website about him, and eventually merging with TheArnoldFans to do even more cool stuff and bring together so many fans of Arnold and create new ones. For me, it all started from T2. 
I could recount the stories of how T2 got made as the most expensive movie at the time, and all the talent that came together to make it so amazing, but that stuff is out there in a million places already (see some below). I think the key was James Cameron having a specific vision for T2 that was both epic and action-packed, but also had very personal emotional stakes for the characters that really came across in the performances. Cameron didn't compromise on making it just the way he wanted and simply achieved near-perfection. It was the epitome of a summer action movie but also raised the bar of how emotional and smart action could be. It had bad-ass Arnold one-liners that still didn't feel out of place or corny coming from a cyborg's mouth (though future sequels did sometimes cross that line). Then it also made me cry for that cyborg when he has to say goodbye to John and be lowered into the steel. It's not just the best Arnold movie to me, but one of the best movies ever made, period. 30 years later, it's no shock to me that it still holds up extremely well. The cutting edge CG effects for the T-1000 were used sparingly and effectively in conjunction with practical, and still look darn good.
So here's 30 things for 30 years that T2 makes me think of:
The future war opening. Phased plasma rifles firing. Clothes, boots, and motorcycle. Grabbing the biker's shades. T-1000 stabbing Todd through the milk. I swear I will not kill anyone. That cool-ass flip-cock shotgun. The minigun. Arnold's half-smile when he picks it up. Trust me. Thumbs up. No Fate. Children flying apart like paper. Guitar and strings in the desert. Easy money. Dyson's dying breaths. Canal bike jump. Removing Arnold's CPU chip (Special Edition for me all the way). "Model Citizen." Sarah's chin-ups. Flaming playground. Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh. Five low, too slow (glare). Uncle Bob. 2 million sunblock. Things being crushed. Liquid nitrogen. T-1000 finger wag. Stand on one foot. Hope.
Other people around the internet are marking this anniversary too. The T for 2 podcast has a special with footage from the T2 Hollywood premiere. Studiocanal Licensing unveiled a cool promotional image.
Inverse.com posted an article of 30 facts you didn't know about T2 (you probably do know them, but it's still a fun read). The Ringer has an excellent story "The Tin Man Gets His Heart: An Oral History of Terminator 2: Judgment Day" which includes interviews with Arnold, Cameron, and many others involved in the film.
So pull out your copy of T2 this weekend like I plan to, whether it's the 4K Blu-ray remaster or the OG VHS (or the 20 some versions in between, which I own almost all of), put it on the biggest screen you can, crank up the sound, and bask once again in the sci-fi/action/drama perfection that is T2. It will always be back for me, and remind me of the kid who just wanted his own Terminator like John Connor.
