Alex Trebek Wiki: 5 Facts To Know About The 'Jeopardy' Host

There have been many game show hosts that have become part of the American psyche: Allen Ludden, Bob Barker, Dick Clark. Names that conjure up the lights and sounds of a game show, and one of these thrilling hosts is Alex Trebek. Alex Trebek has been hosting the TV show, Jeopardy, for so long that most people cannot imagine one without the other. It's the first thing in anyone's head when Alex Trebek's name is mentioned. But just who exactly is this man who has become one of America's favorite hosts?

While Alex Trebek is loved and revered as a top American television personality, he was actually born in Canada on July 22, 1940. He went to University of Ottawa and graduated in 1961. He started to host his first game show, Reach For The Top, in 1966 in Canada. It wasn't until he started to host The Wizard of Odds in 1973 that America finally got to see him on their TV screens.

Alex Trebek hosted his first game show, Reach For The Top, in Canada after leaving journalism behind him. Alex Trebek hosted the show for several years before the allure of breaking America caught his eye. Alex Trebek started off in American television hosting the TV show, The Wizard of Odds. The show did not last long and after less than a year it was off the air. Luckily for Alex Trebek, he was soon hosting another game show, High Rollers. He would host High Rollers from 1974-1980 before splitting his time between two different game shows, one filmed in America and one filmed in his home country of Canada. By 1984, he was hosting the revival of Jeopardy and has remained the host ever since. Alex Trebek briefly hosted To Tell The Truth (1956) in 1991 for its short-lived comeback. At the time, Alex Trebek was hosting To Tell The Truth (1956) he was also hosting two other game shows, one of which being the popular game show Jeopardy. This made Alex Trebek the second game show host to host three different game shows at the same time.

Alex Trebek has been a comforting face on our television screens for decades and from his work in those decades he has raked in a high net worth. Alex Trebek is estimated to have a $50 million dollar net worth. The TV Show host has worked on many projects and earned that net worth through endless years of work, but he's also used his TV Show celebrity and connections to do good. Alex Trebek is more than willing to use his net worth to better those around him. He has done so much that some people would even call him a philanthropist.

Despite only becoming a United States citizen in 1998, the beloved television personality has toured with United Services Organizations thirteen times. His first tour was with the entire Jeopardy crew in 1995, by 1998 he had been awarded the Bob Hope Entertainment Award. Along with his work with the USO, Alex Trebek also works with a number of other charities and organizations. His work with impoverished children around the world through the organizations Smile Train and World Vision is very notable. Alex Trebek has also worked with the charity Racing for Kids which helps with funding the health care needs of children. Another charity the Jeopardy host supports is National Geographic Education Foundation which deals with child education and focuses on geography. A fitting charity for Alex Trebek, the face of Jeopardy. Alex Trebek supports many causes along with these five charities and organizations, almost too many to list. It is easy to tell that Alex Trebek is a kind and caring man that wants to help make a world a better place especially for children, the next generation.

It's no surprise that he has managed to snag five Daytime Emmys in his long career. He won his first Daytime Emmy in 1989 and currently holds the record for the most nominations for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host with an impressive twenty-eight nominations. Alex Trebek's most recent Emmy win was ten years ago in 2008, but has been nominated multiple times since then. In fact, his most recent nomination was in 2017 when he lost to Steve Harvey. Ten years after Alex Trebek won his first Emmy, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

After a bad fall back in October, the game show host developed a subdural hematoma, a blood clot that forms on the brain's surface, beneath its outer covering. A subdural hematoma is often considered to be one of the deadliest of all head injuries, it can often go undetected for weeks. Alex Trebek was diagnosed in mid-December and is currently on leave after he had brain surgery to remove blood clots in his brain. Everyone is hoping Alex Trebek has a speedy recovery and is back to being a TV show host for more years to come. America isn't ready to say goodbye to one of the Game Show host greats just yet.