George Alexander Trebek OC (born July 22, 1940), addressed professionally as Alex Trebek, is a Canadian TV host and personality. He started his career in 1963.
He took over as host of the Canadian game show Reach for the Top in the middle of the 1960s. He made his debut on American television in 1973 as the host of the ill-fated game show The Wizard of Odds.
Alex Trebek started his long-running stint as host of the revived Jeopardy! in 1984. He disclosed in 2019 that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died from the condition in November 2020.
Below is more information about this Canadian personality.
ALEX TREBEK |
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| WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA | |
| Full Name: | George Alexander Trebek OC |
| Stage Name: | Alex Trebek |
| Born: | 22 July 1940 (age 80 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Greater Sudbury, Canada |
| Died: | 8 November 2020, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality: | American, Canadian |
| Height: | 1.73 m |
| Parents: | Lucille Lagacé, George Edward Trebek |
| Siblings: | Barbara Trebek |
| Wife • Spouse: | Jean Currivan Trebek (m. 1990–2020), Elaine Callei Trebek (m. 1974–1981) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | Matthew Trebek, Emily Trebek, Nicky Trebek |
| Occupation: | Journalist • TV Personality |
| Net Worth: | US$75 million |
Table of Contents
Early Life & Education
Lucille Lagacé and George Edward Trebek, Alex Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His father was a Ukrainian immigrant who worked as a cook in a nearby hotel, and his mother was French Canadian. He has a sister named Barbara Trebek.
He attended Jesuit schools as a young lad and earned his Lisgar Collegiate Institute diploma in 1957. Alex Trebek enrolled in the University of Ottawa to study philosophy, and in 1961 he graduated. He joined the English Debating Society as a student at the institution.
Alex Trebek was considering a career in broadcast journalism. He decided to pursue a career in media after graduating in 1961.
Career
In 1963, Alex Trebek worked as a host for the Canadian music show Music Hop. The brief-lived “CBS” game show “Double Dare,” which he hosted, ended up being his sole game show with the “CBS” network.
He started in journalism as a news and sportscaster for the CBC channel. His area of expertise was national news, and he quickly developed a reputation as a journalist who could think clearly and be trusted. He covered several noteworthy events for the radio and television divisions of his stations.
Even though he was well-liked for his work as a newscaster, Alex Trebek switched gears in 1966 and took the helm of the Canadian quiz program Reach for the Top, which pitted teams of high school students against one another.