History of Ken Jennings in Timeline

Ken Jennings is an American game show host, author, and former contestant, most famous for his association with Jeopardy!. Born in Seattle and raised abroad, he worked as a computer programmer before achieving fame on Jeopardy! in 2004. He won 74 consecutive games, setting a record for earnings and becoming a pop culture icon. His success brought unprecedented media attention to the show. Jennings later returned to Jeopardy! as a consulting producer and eventually succeeded Alex Trebek as the permanent host.

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Full Timeline

May 23, 1974: Ken Jennings Born

On May 23, 1974, Kenneth Wayne Jennings III was born in Seattle, Washington. He later became known for his success on Jeopardy!.

1996: Transferred to BYU

In 1996, Ken Jennings transferred to Brigham Young University (BYU).

2000: Graduated from BYU

In 2000, Ken Jennings graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a double major in English and computer science.

2003: Jeopardy! Contestant Exam

In 2003, Ken Jennings took the contestant exam for Jeopardy!, but he did not hear back from the show for a year.

January 2004: Tom Walsh winning streak

In January 2004, Tom Walsh set a record winning streak on Jeopardy!, winning $186,900 in eight games.

June 2, 2004: Ken Jennings's First Jeopardy! Episode

On June 2, 2004, Ken Jennings's run on Jeopardy! began with an episode where he defeated two-time returning champion Jerry Harvey. Jennings's initial winning streak almost ended due to an accepted response.

September 20, 2004: Tournament of Champions

From September 20, 2004, through October 1, 2004, Jeopardy! aired the Tournament of Champions, interrupting Ken Jennings's run.

October 1, 2004: Tournament of Champions

From September 20, 2004, through October 1, 2004, Jeopardy! aired the Tournament of Champions, interrupting Ken Jennings's run.

November 2, 2004: 2004 Presidential Election

On Tuesday, November 2, 2004, no first-run episode of Jeopardy! was scheduled due to the 2004 United States presidential election, interrupting Ken Jennings's run.

November 10, 2004: College Championship

From November 10, 2004, to November 23, 2004, Jeopardy! aired the College Championship, interrupting Ken Jennings's run.

November 23, 2004: College Championship

From November 10, 2004, to November 23, 2004, Jeopardy! aired the College Championship, interrupting Ken Jennings's run.

November 30, 2004: Ken Jennings's Final Jeopardy! Game

On November 30, 2004, Ken Jennings lost his 75th Jeopardy! game to Nancy Zerg, ending his reign as champion. He incorrectly answered the Final Jeopardy! clue, costing him the game with a final score of $8,799.

December 1, 2004: Jennings's Guest Appearance

On December 1, 2004, the day after his defeat, Ken Jennings made a guest appearance on Jeopardy!, and host Alex Trebek acknowledged his success.

2004: Jeopardy! audition and winning streak

In 2004, Ken Jennings tried out for Jeopardy! and started his initial run. He secured a record-setting 74 consecutive wins, earning him the title of highest-earning American game show contestant and widespread media attention.

2004: 74 Consecutive Jeopardy! Wins

In 2004, Ken Jennings won 74 consecutive Jeopardy! games before being defeated.

2004: Overnight Fame

In 2004, Ken Jennings's life changed overnight as he became a household name. He guested on numerous television programs, and H&R Block offered him free tax planning services. FedEx also acknowledged his losing Final Jeopardy! answer in an advertisement. Barbara Walters named him one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2004.

November 2005: "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" Column Debut

In November 2005, Ken Jennings' column "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" debuted in Mental Floss magazine.

2005: Endorsement Deals

In 2005, Ken Jennings engaged in endorsement deals, including Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia software and Cingular Wireless.

2005: Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions

In 2005, Ken Jennings returned to Jeopardy! for the 15-week, 75-show Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions. He finished in second place, winning $500,000.

2005: Comedy Central Game Show Project

In 2005, Ken Jennings was slated to host a new game show for Comedy Central, but the project stalled.

2005: Jeopardy DVD Release

In 2005, Ken Jennings's losing episode was featured on the DVD release of Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show.

July 4, 2006: Launch of Trivia Tuesday Newsletter

On July 4, 2006, Ken Jennings launched his weekly trivia newsletter called Trivia Tuesday.

2006: Potential Game Show

As of mid-2006, Jennings was shopping a potential game show titled Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World.

2006: Moderator at NAQT High School National Championship Tournament

In 2006, Jennings was a moderator at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament in Chicago.

2006: Endorsement Deals and Board Game

In 2006, Ken Jennings continued endorsement deals and was featured in a "Can You Beat Ken?" board game.

2006: Publication of "Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs"

In 2006, Ken Jennings published "Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs", detailing his Jeopardy! experiences and trivia culture research.

2006: Game Show Appearances

In 2006, Ken Jennings taped a pilot for Million Dollar Pyramid and appeared on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and 1 vs. 100.

2006: American Crossword Puzzle Tournament Win

In 2006, Ken Jennings won the rookie division of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

December 2007: Marion Jones medals stripped

In December 2007, Marion Jones, the track and field athlete referenced in Jennings's first Jeopardy! episode, was stripped of her medals.

2007: Jeopardy! During the 2007-08 Strike

During the 2007-08 strike, Jeopardy! used recycled material and questions written before the strike, similar to what occurred in 2023.

2007: Grand Slam Appearance

In 2007, Ken Jennings appeared on Grand Slam.

October 2008: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Appearance

In October 2008, Ken Jennings appeared on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, regaining the record for highest American game show winnings.

2008: Stump the Master and 5th Grader Appearances

In 2008, Ken Jennings appeared on Stump the Master and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

2009: Moderator at NAQT High School National Championship Tournament

In 2009, Jennings was a moderator at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament in Chicago.

October 2010: "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" Column Ends

In October 2010, Ken Jennings' column "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" ended its run in Mental Floss magazine.

2011: IBM Challenge

In 2011, Ken Jennings participated in Jeopardy!'s "IBM Challenge," facing off against the company's Watson. Jennings placed second, receiving $300,000 and donating half of his winnings to charity.

2011: Possible Senate Run

In 2011, during a Reddit AMA, Ken Jennings revealed that in 2004 Democratic politicians Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid unsuccessfully asked him to run for the United States Senate from Utah.

2012: Monica Thieu Jeopardy! College Champion

In 2012, Monica Thieu was Jeopardy! College Champion

September 22, 2014: Controversial Tweet

On September 22, 2014, Ken Jennings received criticism for a controversial tweet about a "hot person in a wheelchair."

2014: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Appearance

In 2014, Jennings appeared on Millionaire during Guinness World Records Edition themed week, winning $100,000.

2014: Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades

In 2014, Ken Jennings participated in the Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades tournament, finishing in second place and winning a $100,000 prize.

March 2015: Parade Magazine Ceases Kennections Quiz

In March 2015, Parade magazine ceased Ken Jennings' weekly trivia column, Kennections, and removed links to archived quizzes.

November 10, 2015: Criticism for Tweet About Daniel Fleetwood

On November 10, 2015, Ken Jennings was criticized for a tweet about the death of Daniel Fleetwood, a Star Wars fan who died of cancer.

December 2015: Release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In December 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released after a campaign to grant Daniel Fleetwood's dying wish to see the film before he passed.

2015: Matt Jackson runner-up

In 2015, Matt Jackson was runner-up for the Tournament of Champions.

2016: 500 Questions Appearance

In 2016, Ken Jennings appeared on 500 Questions.

2016: Monica Thieu eliminates Ken Jennings

In 2016, Monica Thieu eliminated Ken Jennings in an episode of 500 Questions

May 31, 2017: Barron Trump Tweet Controversy

On May 31, 2017, Ken Jennings tweeted a joke involving Barron Trump, leading to controversy.

September 7, 2017: Omnibus Podcast Launch

On September 7, 2017, Ken Jennings and John Roderick launched the Omnibus podcast.

2017: @midnight Appearance

In 2017, Ken Jennings appeared on @midnight.

March 2018: Active FleetWit Player

As of March 2018, Ken Jennings was an active player in the live trivia races on the trivia app FleetWit.

August 2018: Criticism for Tweet About Elderly Woman

In August 2018, Ken Jennings was criticized for his description of an elderly woman on Twitter.

2019: Best Ever Trivia Show Appearance

In 2019, Jennings appeared on Best Ever Trivia Show as one of the "Trivia Experts".

2019: Jeopardy! All-Star Games

In 2019, Ken Jennings was a captain in the Jeopardy! All-Star Games, leading "Team Ken" to a second-place finish and winning $100,000.

January 2020: Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time

In January 2020, Ken Jennings won the Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time tournament, earning the title and a $1,000,000 prize.

March 3, 2020: Washington State Legislature Congratulates Jennings

On March 3, 2020, the Washington State Legislature approved Senate Resolution 8704, congratulating Ken Jennings for his game show achievements.

May 2020: Last Active Season in LearnedLeague

In May 2020, Ken Jennings' last active season in LearnedLeague was LL85.

September 2020: Consulting Producer

In September 2020, Ken Jennings joined Jeopardy! as a consulting producer for the show's 37th season.

October 29, 2020: Trebek's Final Episode

On October 29, 2020, Alex Trebek taped his final episode of Jeopardy!.

November 8, 2020: Alex Trebek's Death

On November 8, 2020, Alex Trebek died from pancreatic cancer.

November 2020: The Chase Appearance

In November 2020, Jennings became one of the chasers on ABC's revival of The Chase.

November 2020: Announced as Guest Host

In November 2020, Ken Jennings was announced as the first in a series of guest hosts for Jeopardy!.

December 2020: Apology and Deletion of Past Tweets

In December 2020, Ken Jennings offered an apology on Twitter for some of his past comments and deleted them.

2020: Master Minds Appearance

In 2020, Jennings appeared on Master Minds as one of the trivia experts.

2020: Returns to Jeopardy!

In 2020, Ken Jennings returned to Jeopardy! as a producer and later guest-hosted the program after the death of Alex Trebek.

2020: Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time Victory

In 2020, Ken Jennings won Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer.

2020: Tweet Controversy Resurfaces

In 2020, the September 22, 2014 tweet reignited controversy, leading to condemnation from disability rights activists.

January 2021: Controversy Over John Roderick's Tweets

In January 2021, Ken Jennings faced controversy when his podcast co-host John Roderick's past tweets resurfaced, and Jennings defended him.

February 19, 2021: End of Guest Hosting

On February 19, 2021, Ken Jennings's episodes as guest host of Jeopardy! came to an end.

November 16, 2021: Discontinuation of Trivia Tuesday Newsletter

On November 16, 2021, Ken Jennings discontinued his Trivia Tuesday newsletter after 800 quizzes due to increased commitments.

2021: Guest Hosting Duties

In 2021, Ken Jennings shared guest hosting duties for Jeopardy! with actress Mayim Bialik after Mike Richards was dismissed.

May 8, 2023: Jeopardy! Masters Series Premiere

On May 8, 2023, Jeopardy! Masters series premiered on ABC, featuring recent Jeopardy! champions competing in a "Champions League-style" tournament.

May 11, 2023: Bialik's Withdrawal From Jeopardy!

On May 11, 2023, Mayim Bialik withdrew from Jeopardy! due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, leaving Ken Jennings to host the last 20 episodes of season 39.

May 2023: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Win

In May 2023, Ken Jennings competed on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, winning $72,800 for the Equal Justice Initiative.

May 2023: WGA Strike and Jeopardy! Hosting

In May 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. Mayim Bialik refused to host Jeopardy! in the final week of filming in May 2023, and Ken Jennings took over. It was clarified that Jeopardy! was under a different contract, so Jennings was not crossing the picket line.