50 Fun Facts About Alex Trebek

In which year did Alex Trebek begin hosting the revived Jeopardy!?

He shot two pilots for Merv Griffin's revival after original host Art Fleming declined to return, and stayed 37 seasons.

In which Canadian city was Trebek born?

A mural of him now covers a wall of Sudbury Secondary School, where he went to high school.

What was Trebek's first given name?

He shared it with his father, George Edward Trebek, a chef who had emigrated from Ukraine.

Trebek's father emigrated as a child from which country?

The family name was originally Terebeychuk; his mother was a Franco-Ontarian.

Why did Trebek drop out of a military college in Quebec?

He had also nearly been expelled from boarding school shortly before.

What was Trebek's first job, at age 13?

It was at the hotel where his father worked as a chef.

From which school did Trebek graduate with a philosophy degree in 1961?

He later gave the school around $10 million, and it named its alumni hall after him in 2015.

For which broadcaster did Trebek begin his career in 1961?

He read national radio news and covered events from curling to horse racing.

What was Trebek's first hosting job, a 1963 Canadian TV program?

Three years later he hosted the high-school quiz show Reach for the Top.

Which Canadian high-school quiz show did Trebek host starting in 1966?

In 1978 he hosted a bilingual special with its French counterpart, Génies en herbe, switching between languages.

Why did Trebek reportedly lose out on hosting Hockey Night in Canada in 1971?

Producer Ralph Mellanby preferred him but his boss did not want a mustached host; Dave Hodge got the job.

What was the first US game show Trebek hosted after moving south in 1973?

It aired on NBC; High Rollers followed a year later.

Which dice-based NBC game show did Trebek host in two stints, 1974–76 and 1978–80?

It was a Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley production, and he later shot a failed revival pilot called Lucky Numbers.

Trebek's only CBS game show shared its name with a later Nickelodeon hit. What was it?

Not the slime-filled kids' show; this was a 1976–77 Goodson-Todman quiz.

Which 1980 Card Sharks charity tournament of game-show hosts did Trebek win?

The three-week round robin also featured Tom Kennedy, Jack Clark and Jim Lange.

Trebek was never paid for hosting which syndicated show after its producer went bankrupt?

It taped in Vancouver; Catalena Productions folded before paying him.

Which Hollywood legend encouraged Merv Griffin to hire Trebek for the Jeopardy! revival?

Original host Art Fleming, a friend of Trebek's, had declined to return over creative differences.

Who was the original Jeopardy! host whom Trebek succeeded?

Fleming also died of pancreatic cancer, a little over 25 years before Trebek.

Which NBC show did Trebek host simultaneously with Jeopardy! from 1987 to 1991?

It was his second show for Mark Goodson; the final first-run episode aired September 20, 1991.

In 1991 Trebek became the first person to host three US game shows at once by taking over which one?

He replaced Lynn Swann on February 4, 1991 and stayed until the run ended that May.

Which cooking competition did Trebek host on CBS from 1994 to 1998?

It was his first return to CBS since Double Dare.

With whom did Trebek swap shows on April Fools' Day 1997?

Sajak hosted Jeopardy! while Trebek ran Wheel of Fortune with Sajak's wife Lesly as co-host.

Who beat Trebek in his qualifying game on Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005?

He finished second at the table.

Which three champions faced off in the 2020 ABC special Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time?

They were the three highest money winners in the show's history.

On which ABC show did Trebek fill in for Charles Gibson for a week in 1995?

It was a return to the broadcast-news roots he had at the CBC.

In The X-Files episode Jose Chung's From Outer Space, Trebek played what?

Jesse Ventura played the other Man in Black; the episode aired April 12, 1996.

How many game show episodes had Trebek hosted when Guinness recognized his record in 2014?

The record for most episodes of the same program by one presenter had belonged to Bob Barker.

Trebek apologized after moderating a 2018 governor's debate in which state?

He spoke for 41% of the Tom Wolf–Scott Wagner debate and admitted he had misunderstood a moderator's role.

Trebek announced which NHL team's third-overall pick, in Jeopardy! style, at the 2020 draft?

The pick was Tim Stützle, just a month before Trebek's death.

Who was Trebek's first wife, a broadcaster he married in 1974?

They divorced in 1981; he adopted her daughter Nicky.

What did Trebek's second wife, Jean Currivan, do for a living when they met?

They married in 1990 and had two children, Matthew and Emily.

In which year did Trebek become a naturalized US citizen?

It was two years after he ran a leg of the Olympic torch relay in Jacksonville, Florida.

What animals did Trebek breed and train at his Creston Farms ranch near Paso Robles?

His colt Reba's Gold was a stakes winner; he sold the 700-acre operation in 2008.

What long-held wish did Trebek fulfil on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in 2011?

He served as engineer of locomotive No. 734 in Cumberland, Maryland.

Which geography competition did Trebek host in the US for 25 years?

He stepped down in 2013 and also hosted Canada's Great Canadian Geography Challenge.

How much did Trebek give his alma mater in 2016 to fund the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue?

By October 2020 his gifts to the university totalled around $10 million.

What name did a Los Angeles homeless shelter take after a $100,000 gift from the Jeopardy! host in 2020?

Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission had replaced the Skateland skating rink.

To which charity did Trebek's son donate his wardrobe of suits and hundreds of ties in 2021?

It fulfilled a promise Trebek made on his last day of taping.

How did Trebek injure his Achilles tendon in 2011?

The San Francisco incident put him in a cast for six weeks.

What diagnosis did Trebek announce on March 6, 2019?

He joked that his contract obligated him to keep hosting for three more years.

What was the title of Trebek's 2020 memoir?

Its subtitle was Reflections on My Life; it came out on July 21, 2020.

How many days before his death did Trebek tape his final Jeopardy! episode?

He taped it on October 29, 2020 and died on November 8 at age 80.

Who was called in to guest host on the day Trebek died?

It was meant to be temporary cover while Trebek recovered from surgery.

On what date did Trebek's final Jeopardy! episode air?

Sony postponed the final week from Christmas week after November production dates were cancelled.

What was Sony's Studio 10 renamed in August 2021?

His family attended the dedication before season 38 taping began.

How many Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host did Trebek win?

The wins span 1989 to a posthumous award in 2021.

Which Canadian honor did Trebek receive from Governor General David Johnston in 2017?

The citation praised his promotion of learning and geographical literacy.

The US Postal Service released a Trebek Forever stamp on what would have been which birthday?

The July 22, 2024 stamp is designed as a Jeopardy!-style question.

Accommodating which champion earned Trebek an American Foundation for the Blind award?

Timanus was the show's first blind champion.

Trebek's final film role, released posthumously in 2021, was a cameo in which movie?

He played himself hosting Jeopardy!, as he had in Rain Man and Groundhog Day decades earlier.