Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek in April 2009
Born	George Alexander Trebek (1940-07-22) July 22, 1940 (age 71) Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Television personality Game show host
Years active	1963–present
Spouse	Elaine Callei (1974–1981) Jean Currivan-Trebek (1990–present)
Children	2
Signature

George Alexander "Alex" Trebek (/trɨˈbɛk/; born July 22, 1940) is a Canadian American television personality. He has been the host of the syndicated game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted such other game shows as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has made appearances in numerous television series, usually portraying himself. A native of Canada, he became a naturalized United States citizen in 1998.^[1]

Early life[link]

Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ontario, the son of Lucille (née Lagacé, which was the name of the street on which he grew up), a Franco-Ontarian, and George Edward Trebek, a Ukrainian immigrant. He graduated from the University of Ottawa High School (Oblates of Mary Immaculate - OMI) in 1957 before graduating from Toronto's Malvern Collegiate Institute in 1958, and later the University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy in 1961. As a student at the University of Ottawa, he was a member of the English Debating Society. Interested in a career in broadcast news, he began his broadcasting career working for the CBC as a newscaster and sportscaster. Trebek specialized in national news and covering a wide range of special events for the CBC's radio and television divisions, including curling^[2] and horse racing.^[3]

Trebek once attended Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, but for only six days.^[4] Trebek briefly talked about his military school experiences in a 2003 interview in Esquire magazine:^[5]

Rise in television[link]

Trebek's first hosting job was on a Canadian music program called Music Hop in 1963. In 1966, he hosted high school quiz show Reach for the Top. In 1973, he moved to the United States and worked for NBC as host of a new game show, The Wizard of Odds. A year later, Trebek hosted the popular Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley game show, High Rollers, which had two incarnations on NBC (1974–76 and 1978–80) and an accompanying syndicated season (1975–76). In between stints as host of High Rollers, Trebek hosted the short-lived CBS game show, Double Dare (not to be confused with the 1986 Nickelodeon game show of the same name), which turned out to be both the only CBS network show Trebek hosted and the first show he hosted for what was then Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, as well as the second season of the syndicated series The $12 Question, which taped in Toronto. Since the second incarnation of High Rollers premiered while The $12 Question was still airing and taping episodes, Trebek became one of two hosts to emcee shows in both the United States and Canada, joining Jim Perry, who was hosting Definition and Headline Hunters in Canada and Card Sharks, which coincidentally premiered the same day as High Rollers in 1978, in the United States. Trebek's Francophone side was put on display in 1978, in a special bilingual edition of Reach for the Top and its Radio-Canada equivalent Génies en herbe. In this show Trebek alternated smoothly between French and English throughout.^[6]

Like other hosts of the day, Trebek made several guest appearances as panelist or player on other shows; one of his guest appearances was on a special week of NBC's Card Sharks, in 1980, where he and several other game show hosts (including Allen Ludden, Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, Jack Clark, Gene Rayburn, and Jim Lange) competed in a week-long round robin tournament for charity. Trebek won the tournament, defeating Bill Cullen in the finals. Trebek also appeared as a celebrity teammate on the NBC game show The Magnificent Marble Machine in 1975, as well as the Tom Kennedy-hosted NBC word game To Say the Least in 1978. Both of those shows were produced by Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley Productions, which also produced High Rollers, the show Trebek was hosting during both of those guest appearances.

After High Rollers was canceled in 1980, Trebek moved on to Battlestars for NBC. The series debuted in October 1981 and was canceled in April 1982 after only six months on the air. In September 1981 Trebek took the helm of the syndicated Pitfall, which taped in Vancouver and forced him to commute as he had while hosting High Rollers and The $128,000 Question in 1978. Pitfall was canceled after the production company responsible, Catalena Productions, went bankrupt, and as a result, he was never paid for that series. After both series ended, Trebek hosted a revival of Battlestars called The New Battlestars that ended after thirteen weeks, then shot a series of pilots for other series for producers Merrill Heatter (who he had worked for on High Rollers and Battlestars) and Merv Griffin. The Heatter pilots were Malcolm, an NBC-ordered pilot featuring Trebek with an animated character as his co-host, and Lucky Numbers, an attempt at a revival of High Rollers that didn't sell. For Griffin he shot two pilots for a revival of Jeopardy!, which he began hosting in 1984 and has done ever since.

In 1987, while still hosting Jeopardy!, Trebek returned to daytime television as host of NBC's Classic Concentration, his second show for Mark Goodson. He hosted both shows simultaneously until September 20, 1991, when Classic Concentration aired its final episode. In 1991 Trebek made broadcast history by becoming the first person to host three American game shows at the same time, earning this distinction on February 4, 1991, when he took over for Lynn Swann as host of NBC's To Tell the Truth, which he hosted until the end of the series' run on May 31, 1991.

In August 1995, Trebek filled in for Charles Gibson for a week on Good Morning America.

Trebek also appears in many Colonial Penn Life Insurance commercials, and reprises his role as host of To Tell the Truth Jordan Zwerk in a 2010 advertisement for DirecTV.

Alex Trebek at Kadena Air Base, Japan on March 31, 2007.

In December 2010, Trebek guest-starred on How I Met Your Mother.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Trebek was married to his first wife Elaine Callei Trebek from 1974 until their divorce in 1981. He helped raise her daughter Nicola "Nicky" Trebek and gave his last name to her.^[8][9] He has been married to Jean Currivan Trebek, a real estate businesswoman and the mother of their two children Matthew and Emily, since April 30, 1990.^[10]

Trebek became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998. He now lives in Studio City, California with his wife, Jean, and two children, Matthew (born 1990) and Emily (born 1993). In an interview with a talk show host, Trebek joked that "I had only been a citizen for two weeks when I received a summons to appear for jury duty!"^[11]

In 1996, Trebek ran the Olympic Torch in Jacksonville, Florida, through a leg of its journey to Atlanta.^[12]

In late 2001, during Jeopardy!'s 18th season, Trebek shaved the mustache that he had worn for over 30 years. He wore a fake mustache for the first half of the April 1, 2008, episode as an April Fools' joke.

Trebek and Pat Sajak, host of Wheel of Fortune, traded places on April Fools' Day 1997. Sajak hosted Jeopardy!, and Trebek hosted Wheel of Fortune with Sajak's wife, Lesly, as Trebek's co-host. Sajak and Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White played contestants at the Wheel, with winnings going toward charities.

Trebek appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005. He came in second place in his qualifying game, losing to Cheryl Hines. On May 9, 2008, Trebek was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, on which he discussed his 24-year career as the host of Jeopardy! Kimmel's other guest was Kelsey Grammer, who had won an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy 17 years earlier. The segment included a video clip from that episode.

Trebek formerly^[13] owned and managed a 700-acre (2.8 km²) ranch near Paso Robles in Creston, California previously owned by Fred and Helen Sahadi, parents of trainer Jenine Sahadi.^[14] The property was known as Cardiff Stud Farm but Trebek renamed it Creston Farms where he bred, trained and provided state-of-the-art care for Thoroughbred race horses.^[15] Among Thoroughbreds raced by Trebek, his colt, Reba's Gold, is a stakes-winning son of Slew o' Gold.^[16]

Health and personal incidents[link]

On January 30, 2004, Trebek escaped major injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck while driving alone on a rural road in the Central Coast town of Templeton, California, returning from a family home in Lake Nacimiento. The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet^[17] over an embankment, and came to rest against a utility pole in a ditch. Trebek was not cited for the accident and returned to work taping Jeopardy! the following Tuesday.^[18][19]

On December 11, 2007, Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a minor heart attack in his home. He was released on December 15, 2007.^[20] Trebek returned to the production of Jeopardy! as scheduled on January 14, 2008, to tape the Teen Tournament.^[21][22][23]

On July 27, 2011, Trebek was robbed in a hotel room in San Francisco. While hosting the National Geographic World Championship he told a crowd at Google's HQ that he "snapped an Achilles tendon early Wednesday morning, while chasing a burglar at a San Francisco hotel." He woke up to sounds of a woman in his room, going through his things. He said he then got out of bed, put on his underwear and chased the robber down the hall. During the chase, Trebek was injured, but he hobbled back to his room to call security, and the woman was apprehended. The convicted burglar was Lucinda Moyers, whom records show she had been convicted of four burglaries since 1990.^[24] Trebek says all was recovered except cash and a bracelet (a gift from his mother). He was expected to be in a cast for close to six weeks.^[25]

Honors and awards[link]

The handprints of Alex Trebek in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park

Alex Trebek has been awarded five Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (located at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard, near those for Ann-Margret and Vincent Price).

He hosts the annual National Geographic Bee in the U.S. and The Great Canadian Geography Challenge in Canada. Active with the World Vision charitable organization, he has traveled to many third world countries with World Vision projects, taping reports on the group's efforts on behalf of children around the world.^[26]

Trebek and the entire Jeopardy! crew became involved with the USO in 1995 and have appeared on several military bases throughout the world, both in an attempt to find contestants and as a morale booster for the troops.

The American Federation for the Blind in 2001 awarded Trebek with one of six Access Awards for his role in accommodating notable Jeopardy! champion Eddie Timanus.

In the 2003 film S.W.A.T starring Samuel L Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell & LL Cool J, Alex Trebek's Star on the Hollywood walk of fame is shown when a convict (Olivier Martinez) is handcuffed after being pinned down by the S.W.A.T team.

In March 2006, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He is the second game show host to be inducted (the first being Monty Hall of Let's Make a Deal and the third being Howie Mandel of Deal or No Deal). His star is located on King Street West near those of the Crazy Canucks and Eugene Levy.

On November 4, 2010, Trebek received the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Gold Medal, for his contribution to geographic education and the popular study of geography.^[27] Previous recipients of this award include the author and anthropologist Wade Davis (2009), Peter Gzowski (1997), and Mary May Simon (1998), among others.^[28]

In 2011, it was announced that Trebek would be one of the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

Television and film appearances[link]

Shows hosted[link]

• Music Hop (1962–1972) - Host from 1963–1964
• Vacation Time (1964) - Co-host
• Reach for the Top (1966–1973) - Quizmaster
• Strategy (1969) - Host
• The Wizard of Odds (1973) - Host
• Double Dare (1976–1977)
• High Rollers - Host (NBC, 1974–1976, 1978–1980)
• Stars on Ice (CTV, 1976–1980) - Host
• The $128,000 Question (1977–1978)
• Wall $treet (1980–1981)
• Battlestars (1981–1983)
• Pitfall (1981–1982)
• Starcade (1983 pilot)
• Malcolm (1983 pilot)
• Jeopardy! (1984–present)
• Lucky Numbers (1985 Pilot)
• VTV-Value Television (1987) - Co-host with Meredith MacRae
• Classic Concentration (1987–1991)
• Super Jeopardy! - Host (1990)
• To Tell the Truth (1990–1991) - Host from February to May 1991
• Wheel of Fortune - Host for April Fools' Day episode in 1997, also a substitute host in August 1980
• Barris & Company - Co-host/Announcer
• Outside/Inside - Host
• Pick and Choose - Host
• T.G.I.F. - Announcer
• Live from the Hollywood Bowl - Host of annual live broadcasts.
• The Red Badge of Courage / Heart of Courage - Canadian-produced show highlighting brave individuals
• The National Geographic Bee national finals - Host (1989–present)
• The Pillsbury Bake-Off - Host (1996–1998)

Cameo appearances[link]

• Mama's Family (1987) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• For Keeps (1988) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Rain Man (1988) - himself as the host of Jeopardy
• Cheers (1990) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Predator 2 (1990) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! (voice)
• WrestleMania VII (1991) - himself as a ring announcer and interviewer
• The Golden Girls (1992) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! (Season 07, Episode 16 - Questions and Answers)
• White Men Can't Jump (1992) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Short Cuts (1993) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Groundhog Day (1993) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Larry Sanders Show (1993) - himself as the minister who marries Hank Kinsley
• Rugrats (1993) - as Alan Quebec, the host of Super Stumpers, on which Didi Pickles is a contestant (Season 2 Episode 37 - Game Show Didi)
• The Nanny (1995) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Beverly Hills, 90210 (1995) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• The X-Files - himself as a Man in Black with Jesse Ventura (1995-96 season: episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space")
• Seinfeld (1996) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! (Season 8 Episode 9 - The Abstinence)
• The Magic School Bus (1996) - Announcer (voice) (Season 2 Episode 6 - Shows and Tells)
• The Simpsons (1997) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! in Miracle on Evergreen Terrace (Voice)
• The Weird Al Show (1998) - himself, as the Host of Jeopardy! (Voice)
• Mafia! (1998) - himself, riding on a parade float
• Finding Forrester (2000) - himself as the host of Jeopardy!
• Saturday Night Live (2000) - himself
• Arthur (2000) - as Alex Lebek, the host of Riddle Quest, on which Arthur is a contestant
• Pepper Ann (2001) - as himself in the 2001 finale. His character was to have married the title character's mother Lydia Pearson sometime during the fifteen year span between the events of the series and the futuristic final episode.
• Family Guy (2006) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! (voice)
• The Bucket List (2008) - himself as the host of Jeopardy! (voice)
• How I Met Your Mother (2010) - himself, as the host of Million Dollar Heads or Tails

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alex Trebek at the Internet Movie Database
• Alex Trebek at the Notable Names Database
• Alex Trebek's Charity Work
• Q&A with Alex Trebek

Ken Jennings
Ken in March 2008.
Born	Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (1974-05-23) May 23, 1974 (age 38) Edmonds, Washington, U.S.
Residence	Mountlake Terrace, Washington, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Brigham Young University
Occupation	Computer scientist Author
Known for	74-time Jeopardy! champion All-time game show winnings leader

Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) is an American game show contestant and author. Jennings is noted for holding the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and as being the all-time leading money winner on American game shows. In 2004, Jennings won 74 Jeopardy! games before he was defeated by challenger Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance. His total earnings on Jeopardy! are $3,172,700, consisting of $2,520,700 over his 74 wins, a $2,000 second-place prize in his 75th appearance, a $500,000 second-place prize in the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions, as well as half of a $300,000 prize in the IBM Challenge.

During his first run of Jeopardy! appearances, Jennings earned the record for the highest American game show winnings. His total was surpassed by Brad Rutter, who defeated Jennings in the finals of the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions (first aired on May 25, 2005), adding $2,000,000 to Rutter's existing Jeopardy! winnings. Jennings regained the record after appearing on several other game shows, culminating in an appearance on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (first aired on October 10, 2008), though Rutter retains the Jeopardy! record.

After his success on Jeopardy!, Jennings wrote of his experience and explored American trivia history and culture in his book Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs, published in 2006.

Early life[link]

Born in Edmonds, Washington, Jennings grew up in Seoul, South Korea (1981–1992) and Singapore (1992–1996), where his father worked for an international law firm and then as Asia Pacific Division Counsel of Oracle Corporation.^[1] He watched Jeopardy! on American Forces Network television while growing up.^[2]

Jennings graduated with a degree in Computer Science and English at Brigham Young University, where he played on the school's quizbowl team for three and a half years. He graduated from Seoul Foreign School where he completed an International Baccalaureate diploma, and achieved honors at Brigham Young.^{[citation needed]} Jennings attended the University of Washington during his freshman year.^[3]

Family and personal life[link]

He and his wife Mindy (née Boam)^[3] have a son, Dylan, born in 2003, and a daughter, Caitlin, born in 2006.^[4]

Jennings is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Democratic Party.^[5][6]

Jennings currently resides in the Seattle metropolitan area. He has stated that he is an avid comic book and movie buff with a website listing his top 4,000 favorite movies. He also writes questions for, edits the literature and mythology categories of questions of, and is otherwise active in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), a quiz bowl organization;^[7] in particular, he moderated (i.e., read questions) at the 2005, 2006, and 2009 NAQT National High School Tournaments in Chicago.

During his Jeopardy! winning streak, Jennings was a software engineer for CHG Healthcare, a healthcare-placement firm in Holladay, Utah.^[8]

[edit] Streak on Jeopardy!

Before 2003, Jeopardy! contestants were limited to five consecutive games. At the beginning of the show's twentieth season (in 2003), the rules were changed to allow contestants to remain on the show as long as they continued to win.^[9] After this rule change, and until Jennings' run, the record winning streak was set by Tom Walsh, who won $186,900 in eight games in January 2004.

Before his Jeopardy! appearance, Jennings was a member of BYU's Quiz Bowl Team.^[10] Jennings' run began during Jeopardy!'s 20th season with the episode aired on Wednesday, June 2, 2004, in which he unseated two-time returning champion Jerry Harvey, and continued into season 21. Jennings' run was interrupted by the 2004 Kids' Week, the Tournament of Champions (aired from September 20, 2004 through October 1, 2004), and the College Championship (aired from November 10, 2004 through November 23, 2004). He did not participate in the Tournament of Champions, as invitations are only extended to champions who have already been defeated (with the exception of the winner(s) of the College Championship), which Jennings had not yet been.

End of the streak[link]

On November 30, 2004, Jennings' reign as Jeopardy! champion ended when he lost his seventy-fifth game to challenger Nancy Zerg.^[11] Jennings responded incorrectly to both Double Jeopardy! Daily Doubles, causing him to lose a combined $10,200 ($5,400 and $4,800, respectively) and leaving him with $14,400 at the end of the round. As a result, for only the tenth time in 75 games, Jennings did not have an insurmountable lead going into the Final Jeopardy! round.^[12] Only Jennings and Zerg, who ended Double Jeopardy! with $10,000, were able to play Final Jeopardy! as third-place contestant David Hankins failed to finish with a positive score after Double Jeopardy!.

The Final Jeopardy! category was Business & Industry, and the answer was "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year". Zerg responded correctly with "What is H&R Block?" and wagered $4,401 of her $10,000, giving her a $1 lead over Jennings with his response still to be revealed. Jennings incorrectly responded with "What is FedEx?", and lost the game with a final score of $8,799 after his $5,601 wager was deducted from his score. He was awarded $2,000 for his second place finish, which gave him a final total of $2,522,700 for his run on Jeopardy!. Zerg, whom Jennings called a "formidable opponent," finished in third place on the next show.

Jennings' 75 matches took place over a span of 182 calendar days, which included stoppages for the show's summer break, one Kids Week series of episodes, the 2004 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, and the 2004 Jeopardy! College Championship.

[edit] Impact of the streak on Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! implemented some backstage changes during Jennings' run. Normally, players only get a short time to practice, but more rehearsal time was added so that the new players could get comfortable with the buzzers. Additionally, the person who managed the buzzer system was changed.^[13]

On December 1, 2004, the day after his defeat, Jeopardy! broke with tradition by having Jennings make a "guest appearance" at the start of the broadcast, during which host Alex Trebek acknowledged his success and enumerated the various game show records he had broken.

Jennings appeared in The Guinness Book of World Records under "Most cash won on a game show."

Ratings impact[link]

According to the Nielsen TV National People Meter, Jeopardy!'s ratings were 22% higher during Jennings' run than they were during the same period the previous year. For several weeks of the winnings streak, Jeopardy! was ranked as TV's highest-rated syndicated program.^[14] By the end of Jeopardy!'s 20th season several weeks later, the show had surpassed Wheel of Fortune in the ratings (the first time any show had displaced Wheel as the highest-rated syndicated television show since 1984),^{[citation needed]} but Wheel, which is usually paired with Jeopardy! in programming, also benefited from Jennings' streak.^[15]

Media appearances and coverage during the streak[link]

Jennings has received a good deal of American media coverage. After his 38th win on Jeopardy!, during the summer break between tapings, Jennings made a guest appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly. There Jennings revealed that he had failed to qualify for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, once hosted by Regis Philbin. During that guest appearance, Jennings said, "Jeopardy! is a man's game... it's not like Millionaire."^[16]

Jennings appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to present Letterman's "Top Ten List" (Top ten ways to irritate Alex Trebek). He appeared again on the program on the night his final show was televised, in addition to interview segments airing that night on local late evening news programming and on Nightline. Barbara Walters selected Jennings as one of the "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004" for her twelfth annual ABC News special, which aired on December 8, 2004. While on his media tour following his final game, Jennings taped a segment for Sesame Street. TV Guide featured a segment of "The Top Ten TV Moments of 2004", in which Ken Jennings' loss placed third. On December 1, 2004, A&E aired an episode of Biography on Jennings and other Jeopardy! notables, including Frank Spangenberg and Eddie Timanus.

Ultimate Tournament of Champions[link]

On December 28, 2004, Sony announced a 15-week, 75-show Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions. It featured Tournament of Champions, College Championship, and Teen Tournament winners from the show's 21-year run, as well as over 100 five-time champions. Jeopardy!'s executive producer, Harry Friedman, explained:

"The 2003 rule change, which allows Jeopardy! players to keep playing until they're defeated, raised the question about how other five-time champions might have played under this rule. This tournament is an opportunity to give those past champions another chance to shine."

The field totaled 145 players including Jennings, who, unlike the other competitors, was automatically placed in the finals. The Ultimate Tournament of Champions offered substantial cash prizes; with a grand prize of $2,000,000 to the winner, $500,000 for the first runner-up, and $250,000 for the second runner-up. Guaranteed prize money was offered to all contestants.

In the final round of the Ultimate Tournament, Brad Rutter decisively defeated Jennings and Jerome Vered, with respective final scores of $62,000, $34,599, and $20,600. Jennings won the $500,000 prize for second place, but as a result of the Ultimate Tournament, Rutter temporarily displaced him as the highest overall winner of money on a game show. Jennings has said he is still happy with his second-place finish. (Jennings and Rutter returned to Jeopardy! in February 2011 to challenge IBM's Watson computer, to which they both lost.)

[edit] After Jeopardy!

Ken Jennings in 2005.

When asked what he intended to do with his streak winnings, Jennings said that he intended to tithe ten percent to his church, donate to public television and National Public Radio, go on a trip to Europe, and invest the rest for his family.^{[citation needed]} Jeopardy! contestants typically receive their winnings approximately 120 days after their last game airs in the form of a check.^{[citation needed]} Taking advantage of the notoriety that Jennings's losing Final Jeopardy! answer afforded, H&R Block offered Jennings free tax planning and financial services for the rest of his life.^[17] H&R Block senior vice president David Byers estimated that Jennings would owe approximately $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings.^[18][19]

In 2004, Democratic politicians Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid unsuccessfully asked Jennings to run for the United States Senate from Utah. Jennings observed, "that was when I realized the Democratic Party was f@#$ed in '04."^[20]

Jennings has written three books. Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs (2006, Villard, ISBN 1-4000-6445-7, trade paperback ISBN 0-8129-7499-9) details his experiences on Jeopardy! and his research into trivia culture conducted after the completion of his run.^[2] Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days, a hardcover book (2008, Villard, ISBN 0-345-59997-2), is a compilation of trivia questions—with 3 categories and about 20 questions per day of the year. Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks (2011, Scribner, ISBN 1-4391-6717-6) explores the world of map and geography enthusiasts.^[21]

Jennings also had a column in Mental Floss magazine called "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings", in which readers submit two wildly different things and he has to connect them in exactly six moves, much in the same vein as the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game.^[22] The column ran from November 2005;^[23] to the September–October 2010 issue.^[24]

According to Variety.com, Jennings and television producer Michael Davies teamed up as executive producers on a new game show format for Comedy Central. According to Comedy Central execs, it was planned that Jennings would co-host and participate.^[25] The series was planned to premiere late in 2005 or in the first quarter of 2006; as of April 2006, development had stalled, and the show's future remained uncertain. Jennings explained on his website that "Stephen Colbert's show was doing so well in its post-Daily Show spot that Comedy Central decided they weren't in the market for a quiz show anymore." However, as of mid-2006, he was still shopping a potential game show titled, Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World.^[26]

Jennings appeared on The Colbert Report on September 14, 2006. During the interview, Colbert discussed Jennings's book, Brainiac, and mocked him not knowing the number of pages the book contained. After Colbert coined a word to describe intellectual nerdiness, "poindexterity", Jennings was going back and forth of what is the correct noun for "poindexter." Jennings noted, as he had done earlier that day on NPR's Talk of the Nation, that since his streak, people "seem to have an extra-hard trivia question" in case they run into him.^[27]

He also appeared twice on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! program. In his Feb. 25, 2006 appearance on the "Not My Job" segment, he answered all three questions correctly, winning for a listener Carl Kasell's voice on that person's answering machine. Jennings stated, "This is, this is the proudest moment of my game show life."^[28]

Other game show appearances[link]

Ken Jennings appeared on the first two episodes of the NBC game show 1 vs. 100 on October 13 and 20, 2006 as a mob member. He incorrectly answered the question, "what color is the number 1 space on a standard roulette wheel?" as "black" instead of "red" in his second episode, eliminating him from the game. (He explained that he did not know the answer because his Mormon faith prohibits gambling.)^[29] He left the show with $714.29, his share of a $35,000 prize shared among 49 Mob members. Jennings returned to the show for a special "Last Man Standing" episode aired on February 9, 2007. He was eliminated on the final question, which asked which of the three options had been married the most times; he answered King Henry VIII, while the correct answer was Larry King. This episode was the first time Jennings had a chance at a rematch against rival Brad Rutter, who was also part of the mob and was eliminated before Jennings.

Ken Jennings in 2007.

In 2007, Jennings was invited to be a contestant on the game show Grand Slam hosted by Dennis Miller and Amanda Byram, also a Sony Pictures production. The show debuted on GSN on August 4, 2007, and featured sixteen former game-show winners in a single-elimination tournament. Jennings, seeded second behind Brad Rutter, won the tournament and became the 2007 Grand Slam Champion after defeating Ogi Ogas (a second-round winner against Rutter) in the finals. He earned $100,000 for his victory.

Jennings was a contestant on an episode of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? that aired on October 10, 2008, which held the possibility of exceeding fellow Jeopardy! winner Brad Rutter's total game show winnings. After winning $500,000, enough to surpass Rutter's total, Jennings chose not to attempt the final $1,000,000 question, which would have deducted $475,000 from his winnings if he missed it. As is customary on the show, Jennings was then shown the question to see what would have happened, and he provided the correct answer. Had he risked his winnings and correctly answered the question, he would have become the show's second $1,000,000 winner.

As of October 31, 2008, Ken is appearing on GSN on Fridays for the trivia game Stump the Master. Home viewers send questions via the GSN website. Four callers are put on hold and Ken selects from one of the categories. The category for the caller he picked comes on the line and reads the question. If Ken does not answer or is incorrect, the caller wins $1,000 or more. Anytime Ken is right, the jackpot is increased by $1,000. All callers are given a small prize, whether or not they participated on the air themselves.

Jennings also appeared on two other Sony Pictures Television game shows, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, as a frequent expert for the lifeline "Ask the Expert" (his appearances were after Sony acquired Millionaire packager 2waytraffic in 2008), and also taped a pilot for the proposed 2009 CBS revival of Sony's The $25,000 Pyramid.^[30]

[edit] Blog entry misinterpreted as critical of Jeopardy!

Jennings made the news in July 2006 when an article in the New York Post written by Michael Starr was published claiming that Jennings had been critical of Jeopardy! on his blog.^{[31][dead link][32]} Citing statements that Jennings wrote on it, Starr's article focuses on Jennings's "criticism" of the show and host Alex Trebek.

Jennings responded on his own personal blog (at http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=83), saying, "...there’s no way I was genuinely calling for angry bees and ventriloquist’s dummies to be added to the Jeopardy! format. It’s a humor piece, and one which gets its laughs from the outrageous non sequiturs it proposes, not the ripeness of its target for criticism."^[33] Jennings had already posted a more serious comment defending Trebek that remains on his website.^[34]

Entertainment Weekly put his performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Answer: A software engineer from Utah, he dominated the quizfest for a record 74 shows in 2004, amassing $2,520,700. Question: Who is Ken Jennings?"^[35]

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament[link]

Jennings won the rookie division of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) in 2006.^[36] In his first time competing, Jennings placed 37th overall. He also served as the award's presenter, becoming the first contestant to present an award to himself. He has not competed in the tournament since.

[edit] Return to Jeopardy!

From February 14–16, 2011, the IBM Challenge featured IBM's Watson facing off against Jennings and Rutter in two matches played over three days.^[37] The winner of the competition was Watson, winning $1 million for two charities, while Ken Jennings took second place with Brad Rutter falling in a close third, receiving $300,000 and $200,000, respectively. Jennings and Rutter each pledged to donate half of their winnings to charity.

This was the first ever man-versus-machine competition in Jeopardy!'s history. At the end of the first episode, in which only the first match's Jeopardy! Round was aired, Rutter was tied with Watson at $5,000, while Jennings was in third with $2,000. After the second episode in which the first game was completed, Jennings remained at third with $4,800 while Rutter at second had $10,400.^[38] The competition ended with Watson in clear first with $77,147, Jennings with $24,000, and Rutter with $21,600.^[39] Underneath his response during the Final Jeopardy! Round, Jennings wrote on his screen "I for one welcome our new computer overlords", an allusion to an oft-repeated line from The Simpsons episode "Deep Space Homer".

Jennings wrote about his experience playing against Watson for the online magazine Slate.^[40]

Records[link]

During his streak, Jennings broke the following records:

He also tied the following records:

The following records, having been set by Ken Jennings, have now been broken by others:

Jennings was not eligible for the 2006 Tournament of Champions. By accepting a bye into the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Jennings was guaranteed $250,000. This bye also required that he give up his right to play in the 2006 Tournament of Champions.^{[citation needed]} Rutter's total of $3,255,102 includes $55,102 in his five days and $3,000,000 in special tournament play, but does not include his two Chevrolet Camaros he won on the game.

Endorsements[link]

Jennings agreed to a deal with Microsoft to promote its discontinued Encarta encyclopedia software. He is also engaged in speaking deals through the Massachusetts-based speakers agency, American Program Bureau.^[41] Cingular Wireless (now AT&T) featured Jennings in commercials portraying Jennings as having lots of "friends and family" (coming out of the woodwork, because he is now "stinking rich") in 2005.

University Games produced a Can You Beat Ken? board game, in which players vie against each other and Jennings in an attempt to earn $2.6 million first. Each question in the game was asked to Jennings, and his answers are recorded on the cards.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• American game show winnings records

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ken Jennings

• Ken Jennings official web site
• Jeopardy! web site
• Ken's Top 2000 Favorite Movies Page
• Ken Jennings at the Internet Movie Database
• 2006 IMNO Interview with Ken Jennings

Myocardial infarction
Classification and external resources
Diagram of a myocardial infarction (2) of the tip of the anterior wall of the heart (an apical infarct) after occlusion (1) of a branch of the left coronary artery (LCA), right coronary artery = RCA
ICD-10	I21-I22
ICD-9	410
DiseasesDB	8664
MedlinePlus	000195
eMedicine	med/1567 emerg/327 ped/2520
MeSH	D009203

Myocardial infarction (MI) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die. This is most commonly due to occlusion (blockage) of a coronary artery following the rupture of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids (cholesterol and fatty acids) and white blood cells (especially macrophages) in the wall of an artery. The resulting ischemia (restriction in blood supply) and ensuing oxygen shortage, if left untreated for a sufficient period of time, can cause damage or death (infarction) of heart muscle tissue (myocardium).

Classical symptoms of acute myocardial infarction include sudden chest pain (typically radiating to the left arm or left side of the neck), shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating, and anxiety (often described as a sense of impending doom).^[1] Women may experience fewer typical symptoms than men, most commonly shortness of breath, weakness, a feeling of indigestion, and fatigue.^[2] A sizeable proportion of myocardial infarctions (22–64%)^[3] are "silent", that is without chest pain or other symptoms.

Among the diagnostic tests available to detect heart muscle damage are an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, cardiac MRI and various blood tests. The most often used blood markers are the creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) fraction and the troponin levels. Immediate treatment for suspected acute myocardial infarction includes oxygen, aspirin, and sublingual nitroglycerin.^[4]

Most cases of myocardial infarction with ST elevation on ECG (STEMI) are treated with reperfusion therapy, such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or thrombolysis.^[5] Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) may be managed with medication, although PCI may be required if the patient's risk warrants it.^[6] People who have multiple blockages of their coronary arteries, particularly if they also have diabetes mellitus, may benefit from bypass surgery (CABG),^[7][8]. The European Society of Cardiology guidelines in 2011 proposed treating the blockage causing the myocardial infarction by PCI and performing CABG later when the patient is more stable.^[7] Rarely CABG may be preferred in the acute phase of myocardial infarction, for example when PCI has failed or is contraindicated.^[7]

Ischemic heart disease (which includes myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and heart failure when preceded by myocardial infarction) was the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide in 2004.^[9] Important risk factors are previous cardiovascular disease, older age, tobacco smoking, high blood levels of certain lipids (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity and obesity, chronic kidney disease, excessive alcohol consumption, the abuse of illicit drugs (such as cocaine and amphetamines), and chronic high stress levels.^[10][11][12]

Classification[link]

There are two basic types of acute myocardial infarction based on pathology:

• Transmural: associated with atherosclerosis involving a major coronary artery. It can be subclassified into anterior, posterior, inferior, lateral or septal. Transmural infarcts extend through the whole thickness of the heart muscle and are usually a result of complete occlusion of the area's blood supply.^[13]
• Subendocardial: involving a small area in the subendocardial wall of the left ventricle, ventricular septum, or papillary muscles. The subendocardial area is particularly susceptible to ischemia.^[13]

In the clinical context, a myocardial infarction can be further subclassified into a ST elevation MI (STEMI) versus a non-ST elevation MI (non-STEMI) based on ECG changes.^[14]

The phrase heart attack is sometimes used incorrectly to describe sudden cardiac death, which may or may not be the result of acute myocardial infarction. A heart attack is different from, but can be the cause of cardiac arrest, which is the stopping of the heartbeat, and cardiac arrhythmia, an abnormal heartbeat. It is also distinct from heart failure, in which the pumping action of the heart is impaired; however severe myocardial infarction may lead to heart failure.^[7]

A 2007 consensus document classifies myocardial infarction into five main types:^[15]

• Type 1 – Spontaneous myocardial infarction related to ischaemia due to a primary coronary event such as plaque erosion and/or rupture, fissuring, or dissection
• Type 2 – Myocardial infarction secondary to ischaemia due to either increased oxygen demand or decreased supply, e.g. coronary artery spasm, coronary embolism, anaemia, arrhythmias, hypertension, or hypotension
• Type 3 – Sudden unexpected cardiac death, including cardiac arrest, often with symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischaemia, accompanied by new ST elevation, or new LBBB, or evidence of fresh thrombus in a coronary artery by angiography and/or at autopsy, but death occurring before blood samples could be obtained, or at a time before the appearance of cardiac biomarkers in the blood
• Type 4 – Associated with coronary angioplasty or stents:
  • Type 4a – Myocardial infarction associated with PCI
  • Type 4b – Myocardial infarction associated with stent thrombosis as documented by angiography or at autopsy
• Type 5 – Myocardial infarction associated with CABG

Signs and symptoms[link]

Rough diagram of pain zones in myocardial infarction; dark red: most typical area, light red: other possible areas; view of the chest

Back view

The onset of symptoms in myocardial infarction (MI) is usually gradual, over several minutes, and rarely instantaneous.^[16] Chest pain is the most common symptom of acute myocardial infarction and is often described as a sensation of tightness, pressure, or squeezing. Chest pain due to ischemia (a lack of blood and hence oxygen supply) of the heart muscle is termed angina pectoris. Pain radiates most often to the left arm, but may also radiate to the lower jaw, neck, right arm, back, and epigastrium,^[7][17] where it may mimic heartburn. Levine's sign, in which the patient localizes the chest pain by clenching their fist over the sternum, has classically been thought to be predictive of cardiac chest pain, although a prospective observational study showed that it had a poor positive predictive value.^[18]

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) occurs when the damage to the heart limits the output of the left ventricle, causing left ventricular failure and consequent pulmonary edema. Other symptoms include diaphoresis (an excessive form of sweating),^[1] weakness, light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, and palpitations. These symptoms are likely induced by a massive surge of catecholamines from the sympathetic nervous system^[19] which occurs in response to pain and the hemodynamic abnormalities that result from cardiac dysfunction. Loss of consciousness (due to inadequate cerebral perfusion and cardiogenic shock) and sudden death (frequently due to the development of ventricular fibrillation) can occur in myocardial infarctions.^[7]

Women and older patients report atypical symptoms more frequently than their male and younger counterparts.^[20] Women also report more numerous symptoms compared with men (2.6 on average vs 1.8 symptoms in men).^[20] The most common symptoms of MI in women include dyspnea (shortness of breath), weakness, and fatigue. Fatigue, sleep disturbances, and dyspnea have been reported as frequently occurring symptoms that may manifest as long as one month before the actual clinically manifested ischemic event. In women, chest pain may be less predictive of coronary ischemia than in men.^[21]

At least one-fourth of all myocardial infarctions are silent, without chest pain or other symptoms, ^[22][3] with silent myocardial infarcations being more common in younger people. These cases can be discovered later on electrocardiograms, using blood enzyme tests or at autopsy without a prior history of related complaints. Estimates of the prevalence of silent myocardial infarctions vary between 22 and 64% ^[3]. A silent course is more common in the elderly^[3], in patients with diabetes mellitus^[23] and after heart transplantation, probably because the donor heart is not fully innervated by the nervous system of the recipient.^[24] In people with diabetes, differences in pain threshold, autonomic neuropathy, and psychological factors have been cited as possible explanations for the lack of symptoms.^[23]

Any group of symptoms compatible with a sudden interruption of the blood flow to the heart are called an acute coronary syndrome.^[25]

The differential diagnosis includes other catastrophic causes of chest pain, such as pulmonary embolism, aortic dissection, pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, and esophageal rupture. Other non-catastrophic differentials include gastroesophageal reflux and Tietze's syndrome.^[26]

Causes[link]

Heart attack rates are higher in association with intense exertion, be it psychological stress or physical exertion, especially if the exertion is more intense than the individual usually performs.^[27] The period of intense exercise and subsequent recovery is associated with about a 6-fold higher myocardial infarction rate (compared with other more relaxed time frames) for people who are physically very fit.^[27] For those in poor physical condition, the rate differential is over 35-fold higher.^[27] One observed mechanism for this phenomenon is the increased arterial pulse pressure stretching and relaxation of arteries with each heart beat, which, as has been observed with intravascular ultrasound, increases mechanical "shear stress" on atheromas and the likelihood of plaque rupture.^[27]

Acute severe infection, such as pneumonia, can trigger myocardial infarction. A more controversial link is that between Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection and atherosclerosis.^[28] While this intracellular organism has been demonstrated in atherosclerotic plaques, evidence is inconclusive as to whether it can be considered a causative factor.^[28] Treatment with antibiotics in patients with proven atherosclerosis has not demonstrated a decreased risk of heart attacks or other coronary vascular diseases.^[29]

There is an association of an increased incidence of a heart attack in the morning hours, more specifically around 9 a.m.^[30][31][32] Some investigators have noticed that the ability of platelets to aggregate varies according to a circadian rhythm, although they have not proven causation.^[33]

Risk factors[link]

Myocardial infarction results from atherosclerosis.^[7] Risk factors for myocardial infarction include:

• Age^[10]
• Gender: At any given age men are more at risk than women, particularly before the menopause,^[27] but because in general women live longer than men ischemic heart disease causes slightly more total deaths in women.^[10]
• Diabetes mellitus type 1 or Diabetes mellitus type 2 ^[34]
• High blood pressure^[35]
• Dyslipidemia/hypercholesterolemia (abnormal levels of lipoproteins in the blood), particularly high low-density lipoprotein, low high-density lipoprotein and high triglycerides^[35]
• Tobacco smoking, including secondhand smoke^[35]
• Short term exposure to air pollution including: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide but not ozone.^[36]
• Family history of ischaemic heart disease or myocardial infarction particularly if one has a first-degree relative (father, brother, mother, sister) who suffered a 'premature' myocardial infarction (defined as occurring at or younger than age 55 years (men) or 65 (women).^[10]
• Obesity^[37] (defined by a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m², or alternatively by waist circumference or waist-hip ratio).
• Lack of physical activity.^[10]
• Psychosocial factors including, low socio-economic status, social isolation, negative emotions and stress increase the risk of myocardial infarction and are associated with worse outcomes after myocardial infarction. Socioeconomic factors such as a shorter education and lower income (particularly in women), and unmarried cohabitation are also correlated with a higher risk of MI.^[38]
• Alcohol — Studies show that prolonged exposure to high quantities of alcohol can increase the risk of heart attack.
• Oral contraceptive pill – women who use combined oral contraceptive pills have a modestly increased risk of myocardial infarction, especially in the presence of other risk factors, such as smoking.^[39]
• Hyperhomocysteinemia (high homocysteine)in homocysteinuria is associated with premature atherosclerosis^[40], whether elevated homocysteine in the normal range is causal is contentious.^[41]

Inflammation is known to be an important step in the process of atherosclerotic plaque formation.^[42] C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive but non-specific marker for inflammation. Elevated CRP blood levels, especially measured with high-sensitivity assays, can predict the risk of MI, as well as stroke and development of diabetes.^[42] Moreover, some drugs for MI might also reduce CRP levels.^[42] The use of high-sensitivity CRP assays as a means of screening the general population is advised against, but it may be used optionally at the physician's discretion in patients who already present with other risk factors or known coronary artery disease.^[43] Whether CRP plays a direct role in atherosclerosis remains uncertain.^[42] Inflammation in periodontal disease may be linked to coronary heart disease, and, since periodontitis is very common, this could have great consequences for public health.^[44] Serological studies measuring antibody levels against typical periodontitis-causing bacteria found that such antibodies were more present in subjects with coronary heart disease.^[45] Periodontitis tends to increase blood levels of CRP, fibrinogen and cytokines;^[46] thus, periodontitis may mediate its effect on MI risk via other risk factors.^[47] Preclinical research suggests that periodontal bacteria can promote aggregation of platelets and promote the formation of foam cells.^[48][49] A role for specific periodontal bacteria has been suggested but remains to be established.^[50] There is some evidence that influenza may trigger an acute myocardial infarction.^[51]

Baldness, hair greying, a diagonal earlobe crease (Frank's sign^[52]) and possibly other skin features have been suggested as independent risk factors for MI.^[53] Their role remains controversial; a common denominator of these signs and the risk of MI is supposed, possibly genetic.^[54]

Calcium deposition is another part of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Calcium deposits in the coronary arteries can be detected with CT scans. Several studies have shown that coronary calcium can provide predictive information beyond that of classical risk factors.^[55][56][57]

Many of these risk factors are modifiable, so many heart attacks can be prevented by maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Physical activity, for example, is associated with a lower risk profile.^[58] Non-modifiable risk factors include age, sex, and family history of an early heart attack, which is thought of as reflecting a genetic predisposition.^[27] To understand epidemiological study results, it is important to note that many factors associated with MI mediate their risk via other factors. For example, the effect of education is partially based on its effect on income and marital status.^[38]

The European Society of Cardiology and the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation have developed an interactive tool for prediction and managing the risk of heart attack and stroke in Europe. HeartScore is aimed at supporting clinicians in optimising individual cardiovascular risk reduction. The Heartscore Programme is available in 12 languages and offers web-based or PC version.^[59]

Pathophysiology[link]

A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, causing catastrophic thrombus formation, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream.

Drawing of the heart showing anterior left ventricle wall infarction

Acute myocardial infarction refers to two subtypes of acute coronary syndrome, namely non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction and ST-elevated myocardial infarction, which are most frequently (but not always) a manifestation of coronary artery disease.^[14] The most common triggering event is the disruption of an atherosclerotic plaque in an epicardial coronary artery, which leads to a clotting cascade, sometimes resulting in total occlusion of the artery.^[60][61] Atherosclerosis is the gradual buildup of cholesterol and fibrous tissue in plaques in the wall of arteries (in this case, the coronary arteries), typically over decades.^[62] Blood stream column irregularities visible on angiography reflect artery lumen narrowing as a result of decades of advancing atherosclerosis.^[63] Plaques can become unstable, rupture, and additionally promote a thrombus (blood clot) that occludes the artery; this can occur in minutes. When a severe enough plaque rupture occurs in the coronary vasculature, it leads to myocardial infarction (necrosis of downstream myocardium).^[60][61]