In his three decades as a game show host, Alex Trebek has seen a lot: a teetotaling Mormon who knew a lot about alcohol; a whip-smart computer whose capacity for trivia recall undermined our very understanding of what it means to be human; SNL parodies that remain endlessly quotable; and lots and lots and lots of answers phrased in the form of a question.
Now, Trebek’s dogged dedication to being a guy who acts like he knows the answers to trivia questions because he has them written on a card in front of him has been certified by those stewards of cultural worth at the Guinness Book of Records, who have awarded Trebek with the world record for “most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter.” Since taking the job in 1984, Trebek has hosted an impressive 6,829 episodes of Jeopardy!, which is a whole lot of Potent Potables.
While we’ll always admire Trebek for his stalwart commitment to the sport of kings (trivia), we’ll also remember him for his more humble beginnings: hosting a Canadian quiz show where plucky Toronto high school kids were expected to know the names of “prime ministers” and the difference between Great Bear and Great Slave lakes.