Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has passed away from pancreatic cancer. He was 80.Jeopardy!announcedhis death and said "he passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends."
- Born George Alexander Trebek on July 22nd, 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- Trebek got his first big game show hosting job on NBC's High Rollers which ran from '74-'76, and then again from '78-'80
- He first began hosting Jeopardy! in 1984, and continued until his death
- He became the first person in broadcast history to host three different American game shows simultaneously in 1991, running Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, and To Tell the Truth
- Trebek won five Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Suffered minor heart attacks in December 2007 and June 2012
- He is survived by wife Jean Currivan Trebek and their two children, Matthew and Emily
George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22nd, 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He began his television career working as a newscaster and sportscaster for CBS in the late 1960s, but quickly moved on to hosting game shows. He moved to the United States in 1973 in order to host NBC's the Wizard of Odds, which only lasted about a year. Despite that show's relative lack of success, he was given the chance to host the popular game show High Rollers for two years at a time, for the first time from '74-'76, then again from '78-'80.
Trebek hosted and appeared in a few unsuccessful projects following his stint on High Rollers, but finally got his big break when he and his iconic mustache (though he later devastated fans by shaving it off in 2001) were hired as the host of the TV quiz show Jeopardy! in 1984. In 1987, he simultaneously hosted NBC's Classic Concentration, which lasted for four years. In 1991, he became the first person in broadcast history to host three different American game shows at the same time when, in addition to Jeopardy! and Classic Concentration he filled in for Lynn Swann on NBC's To Tell the Truth for the series's final three months.
Trebek's success was recognized over the course of his career, as he was awarded with five Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards, and was immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999.
The legendary host's physical problems began in 2007 when he suffered his first of two minor heart attacks. Though he quickly returned to hosting after both, they eventually took their toll on his overall health. He is survived by his second wife Jean Currivan Trebek with whom he was married for over 20 years, as well as their two children, Matthew and Emily Trebek.
In March 2019, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.