The definition of a Hollywood icon? Answer: Who is Alex Trebek?
The longtime Jeopardy! host died at age 80 on Sunday, Nov. 8. He had battled pancreatic cancer for more than a year.
"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends," read a post shared on the show's Twitter page. "Thank you, Alex."
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jean Trebek, and their adult children Emily and Matthew.
Trebek was born and raised in Sudbury in Ontario, Canada on July 22, 1940 and spoke both English and French growing up. In 1961, he graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy and started working as a news and sports announcer and TV host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
In the '70s, he began working as a game show host in the United States, hosting programs such as Double Dare and High Rollers. In 1984, Trebek became the first host of today's version of Jeopardy!, a syndicated revival of a '60s trivia game show, and hosted it until just over a week before his death.
For his work on Jeopardy!, Trebek was nominated for 31 Daytime Emmys, winning seven. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys in 2011.
Check out more info about Trebek's life and legacy and read the heartfelt tributes fellow celebs made to him.
Alex Trebek appears in an undated photo from his TV game show hosting career in the '70s.
Alex Trebek hosts the game show High Rollers in the late '70s.
Trebek makes his debut on the new show, a revival of a '60s program, in 1984.
The Jeopardy! host appears on the stern of the yacht Jacana in 1990.
Alex Trebek accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 2011 Daytime Emmys in Las Vegas.
The Jeopardy! host appears with his son at the 2013 Giants of Broadcasting Honors in New York City.
The Jeopardy! host appears with his wife at the 2015 AFI Life Achievement Awards, honoring Steve Martin, in Hollywood.
The Jeopardy! host attends the SNL 40th Anniversary Special in New York City in 2015. For years, the show ran a recurring Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch starring Will Ferrell as Trebek and Darrell Hammond as contestant Sean Connery. The real Connery died on Oct. 31, 2020, a week before Trebek.
The Jeopardy! host accepts the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host onstage at the 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards. His final win at the 2020 event marked his seventh Daytime Emmy win overall. He has been nominated 31 times.
The host attends the Who is Alex Trebek? Celebrating 35 Seasons of Jeopardy! event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in February 2019, a month before he would reveal his cancer diagnosis.
Alex Trebek shares an update on his health amid his cancer battle in a March 2020 Twitter video.
See photos of Trebek over the years, including pics of him with his family: