Alex Trebek birthday: Remembering late 'Jeopardy!' host, who was born 82 years ago on this day
NEW YORK — There’s no question: Alex Trebek is dearly missed by all his fans.Friday, July 22, would have been the late “Jeopardy!” host’s 82nd birthday.
Trebek was born on July 22, 1940. He died in November 2020 after his open and public battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
For nearly four decades, with style and a sense of humor, he was the man with all the answers who asked for questions and earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for most game show episodes hosted by the same person.
He was a master of the format, engaging in friendly banter with contestants and appearing genuinely pleased when they answered correctly. He was also able to move the game along in a brisk no-nonsense fashion whenever people struggled for answers.
He has won seven Daytime Emmys for his work on the show and received a lifetime achievement Emmy award in 2011.
Trebek had served as the face of the game show since its debut in daytime syndication in 1984. With more than 8,200 episodes under his belt, he holds the Guinness World Record for Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter.
“I’m like the energizer bunny,” he said in 2014. “Thump, thump thump.”
WATCH:’Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek gets emotional over contestant’s answer
The only time somebody other than Trebek has hosted an episode during his “Jeopardy” tenure was when Trebek and “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak swapped shows for an April Fool’s prank, according to the Associated Press.
In the months before his death, the game show host celebrated 36 years with “America’s favorite quiz show” and released his memoir, “The Answer Is …: Reflections on My Life.”
In March of 2019, Trebek announced his cancer diagnosis in a video message released on “Jeopardy” social media accounts.
“Normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this and I’m going to keep working,” he said. “I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”
VIDEO: Trebek talks ‘Jeopardy’ in 2007 interview
The final episode Trebek taped before his passing aired on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. It had no final farewell, and no last remarks or special goodbye from the host who did not know he would die less than two weeks after recording his final episode.
Trebek signed off by saying, “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for spending the time with us. We’ll see you again next week.”
The video in the media player above was used in a previous report.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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