What was the original series premiere date of Jeopardy!? 30 years ago today!

March 30, 1964. That’s the clue. The answer, in the form of a question, is: what is the premiere date of Jeopardy!?

That’s right: 60 years ago today, the long-running game show that’s spawned a franchise, and without which we wouldn’t have trivia and history websites like, say, Ask Everest, first aired on NBC. 60 years later, we’re still all obsessed with the show. And despite the passing of long-time host Alex Trebek, and the subsequent drama over his replacement, the majority of the focus on the show is still the quiz answers (or rather, questions), which continue to challenge audiences world-wide.

With that anniversary in mind, let’s break down a few Jeopardy! style answers, as well as the questions to talk about some (hopefully) fun trivia you may or may not know about the show.

Answer: Art Fleming

Question: Who is the original host of Jeopardy!?

Fleming was the original host of Jeopardy!, and ushered the show through all of the versions that existed before the syndicated show we know and love today. Those include the original series on NBC, which ran until January 3, 1975; the nightly version that ran from 1974-1975; and The All-New Jeopardy! which ran from 1978-1979. It wasn’t until September 10, 1984, that the modern version of Jeopardy! premiered, with Trebek as the host.

Answer: 40, 9,000

Question: How many seasons and episodes have aired?

As of this writing, Jeopardy! has aired 40 seasons, and over 9,000 episodes. In fact, it just hit the 9,000-episode mark on March 22, 2024. And you’d win the Audio Daily Double if you recognized the man who has been the voice of every single episode: Johnny Gilbert, who is 95 years old.

Answer: Ken Jennings

Question: Who is the most successful Jeopardy! player of all time?

You probably knew this one, but Jennings is still the most successful player of all time and current host of the series. Not only did he win 74 consecutive shows, but he won $2,522,700 on the regular show, and $4,522,700 in total including tournaments and other spinoff series. But the greatest thing he won? Being able to say he was right all the time. Just kidding.

So there you go! Three fun facts about Jeopardy! on the occasion of the show’s 60th anniversary.

60 more years. What is how long we hope Jeopardy! runs for? See you in 2084!