Alex Trebek – Canadian/U.S

Alex Trebek was born and raised in Canada and became the host of America’s favorite game show, Jeopardy!. Trebek had Canadian roots from his maternal grandmother, who was born in Mount St. Patrick near Renfrew. Trebek earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Ottawa in 1961. He was a member of the English Debating Society while at university and considered a career in television news.

In the mid-1960s, Trebek became the host of the Canadian game show Reach for the Top. After its success, Trebek relocated to the United States in 1973 to try his luck in Hollywood and hosted various game shows, including The Wizard of Odds, High Rollers, The $128,000 Question, and Pitfall. Trebek’s life was forever changed in 1984 when television executives chose him to host the revival of Jeopardy!. In 1998, he became a naturalized American citizen.