Alex Trebek has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Here's a look at the 6-time Emmy Award winner's long career.
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Alex Trebek has been the host of the "Jeopardy!" game show for 35 years.
Trebek began his career at CBC and NBC before working for the Game Show Network.
Trebek holds the record for most episodes of a game show hosted, and currently reportedly earns a salary of $10 million a year.
Alex Trebek has died at the age of 80. The Emmy-winning television host had been battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.
Trebek was the host of "Jeopardy!" for 35 years and hosted game shows for over 50 years. That amounts to nearly 8,000 hosted episodes, according to the game show's official site.
After starting his television career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Trebek went on to host dozens of shows along with securing his recurring role as the host of game show "Jeopardy!" in 1984. The show originally debuted in 1964.
Trebek was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in March 2019.
"Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer," he said in a video announcing his diagnosis. "Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this, and I'm going to keep working."
Read more: 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer
Amidst a long list of achievements, Trebek holds the record for the longest game show host, along with six total Emmy Awards.
He also made countless cameos on popular television shows, from "Golden Girls" to "How I Met Your Mother," and was the focus of an exclusive documentary by Business Insider in 2019.
Keep reading for a look at Trebek's career, from his college CBC days to his most recent accomplishments.
Canadian television personality Alex Trebek was a game show host for over 50 years.
Born George Alexander Trebek, Trebek grew up in Sudbury, Ontario in 1940. The city is the fifth-largest in Canada by land size, and is roughly 250 miles north of Toronto.
Source: CBC, TV Guide, World Atlas
Trebek attended the University of Ottawa ...
Source: CBC
... where he began his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He worked as a journalist and sports announcer before transitioning to hosting shows such as "Music Hop" in the 1960s.
Source: CBC
After moving to the United States, Trebek debuted as the host of the game show "High Rollers" ...
Source: Biography
... before he began hosting "Jeopardy!" in 1984.
Source: Biography
"Jeopardy!" is by far Trebek's most successful show. It has aired over 7,000 episodes during its 35-year lifetime.
Despite its many episodes, the show only tapes 46 days out of the year, fitting multiple episodes in on these days to be aired later.
Source: Bloomberg
In 1994, the Game Show Network launched as the newest cable network, and began broadcasting "Jeopardy!" and other classic game shows.
Source: Reuters
Trebek married Elaine Callei in 1974. The couple divorced in 1981 and had no children.
Source: Biography
In 1990, Trebek married Jean Currivan. The couple has adult two children, Matthew and Emily.
Source: People
Trebek's family was present for his induction to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999.
Source: Reuters
Trebek also received a star on the Canada's Walk of Fame in 2006 ...
Source: Canada's Walk of Fame
... and is the winner of six Daytime Emmy Awards, including five for Outstanding Game Show Host ...
... and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. Trebek received the award alongside fellow longtime game show host Pat Sajak.
Source: Reuters
Trebek was also awarded a Peabody Award for "Jeopardy!" the following year in 2012.
Source: Reuters
In 2014, Trebek was awarded a Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter. With 6,829 episodes hosted at the time, he surpassed Bob Barker's record for "Price Is Right."
Source: Guinness World Records, Global News
Will Ferrell famously portrayed Alex Trebek's iconic role during his time on SNL for the recurring "Celebrity Jeopardy!" skits. Trebek himself made a guest appearance in 2002.
Source: Reuters
Trebek has also made many other television appearances over the years, usually as himself. He has appeared on shows such as "Golden Girls," "Cheers," "How I Met Your Mother," and most recently "Orange is the New Black."
Source: IMDb
79-year-old Trebek reportedly earned a $10 million salary.
Source: CNN
On March 6, he announced that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but that he intended to "fight" it. He had previous health complications including surgery for blood clots in 2018 and a minor heart attack in 2007.
Source: Bloomberg
Trebek previously named several possible replacements as the host of "Jeopardy!," including NHL announcer Alex Faust and CNN analyst Laura Coates.
Source: The New York Times
Trebek died on November 8 after his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. He's survived by wife Jean Currivan Trebek, daughter Emily Trebek, and son Matthew Trebek.
Source: Insider.
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