Alex Trebek | Biography, Jeopardy, Facts, & Shows

Alex Trebek, in full George Alexander Trebek, (born July 22, 1940, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada—died November 8, 2020, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), Canadian-born American television personality best known as the host of the TV game show Jeopardy! (1984–2020). He holds the Guinness World Record for the “most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter.”

Early years and the CBC

The son of a French Canadian mother and a Ukrainian immigrant father who worked as a hotel chef, Trebek attended Jesuit schools until the age of 12, when he went to boarding school in Ottawa. Fluent in both English and French, he studied philosophy at the University of Ottawa, working part-time at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio to help pay his tuition.

Upon graduating with a B.A. in 1961, Trebek accepted a full-time position as a staff announcer at the CBC in Ottawa, providing news, weather, and sports reports on regional radio and television broadcasts. He then transferred to Toronto and worked as a national staff announcer. Noted for his poise, composure, and improvisational skills, he began hosting a wide range of programs and special events, including Music Hop (1963–64), the country’s first live teen music show, and Reach for the Top (1966–73), a highly popular quiz show that tested bright high school students on their knowledge of geography, history, and politics.