History of Ken Jennings in Timeline
Ken Jennings is an American game show host, author, and former software engineer. He gained widespread recognition for his unprecedented 74-game winning streak on Jeopardy!, setting a record for the longest streak in the show's history. His success on the show also made him the highest-earning American game show contestant. Currently, he hosts Jeopardy!, continuing his involvement with the popular quiz show since 2021.
May 23, 1974: Kenneth Wayne Jennings III Born
On May 23, 1974, Kenneth Wayne Jennings III was born. He is an American game show host and author.
1996: Transfers to BYU
In 1996, Ken Jennings transferred to Brigham Young University (BYU).
1998: Ian Lygo's 100% Winning Streak
In 1998, Ian Lygo won 75 games on the British game show 100%, holding the record for longest winning streak worldwide.
2000: Graduates from BYU
In 2000, Ken Jennings graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a double major in English and computer science.
2000: Marriage to Mindy Boam
In 2000, Ken Jennings married Mindy Boam, whom he met while studying at Brigham Young University; they later had two children.
2003: Jeopardy! Ratings Increase
In 2003, Jeopardy!'s ratings were 22% higher during Ken Jennings's run than during the same period, according to the Nielsen TV National People Meter.
2003: Takes Jeopardy! Contestant Exam
In 2003, Ken Jennings took the contestant exam for Jeopardy! but didn't hear back for a year.
January 2004: Tom Walsh's Winning Streak
In January 2004, Tom Walsh set a record winning streak on Jeopardy! after the rule change, winning $186,900 in eight games.
June 2, 2004: Begins Jeopardy! Winning Streak
On June 2, 2004, Ken Jennings's Jeopardy! winning streak began with the episode airing where he unseated two-time champion Jerry Harvey. His response to the Final Jeopardy! was nearly rejected.
November 30, 2004: Loses 75th Jeopardy! Game
On November 30, 2004, Ken Jennings lost his 75th Jeopardy! game to Nancy Zerg. He incorrectly answered the Final Jeopardy! question, with Zerg winning. Jennings won $2,000, totaling $2,522,700 for his run.
2004: Media Attention and Guest Appearances
In 2004, Ken Jennings gained significant media attention and made guest appearances on TV shows like The Tonight Show, Nightline, Live with Regis and Kelly, Sesame Street, and the Late Show with David Letterman. H&R Block offered him free tax services, and FedEx created an advertisement referencing his losing Final Jeopardy! answer. He was also named one of Barbara Walters's 10 Most Fascinating People.
2004: Jeopardy! Interrupted Broadcasts
In 2004, Ken Jennings's Jeopardy! run was interrupted by the off-season break, Kids' Week, the Tournament of Champions, the United States presidential election, and the College Championship.
November 2005: "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" Column
In November 2005, Ken Jennings started a column in Mental Floss magazine called "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings", which ran until October 2010.
2005: Endorsement Deals
In 2005, Ken Jennings engaged in endorsement deals after his Jeopardy! fame, including with Microsoft to promote Encarta software.
2005: Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions
In 2005, Ken Jennings rejoined Jeopardy! for the 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 in development.
2005: Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show DVD Release
In 2005, Ken Jennings's losing episode was released on the Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show DVD.
July 4, 2006: Launch of Trivia Tuesday Newsletter
On July 4, 2006, Ken Jennings launched his weekly trivia newsletter, Trivia Tuesday.
2006: Potential Game Show
As of mid-2006, Ken Jennings was still shopping a potential game show titled "Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World."
2006: Commercials and Board Game
In 2006, Cingular Wireless featured Ken Jennings in commercials. University Games produced a board game titled "Can You Beat Ken?".
2006: Game Show Appearances
In 2006, Ken Jennings appeared on "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and "1 vs. 100".
2006: Publication of Brainiac
In 2006, Ken Jennings published "Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs", detailing his experiences on Jeopardy! and his research into trivia culture.
2006: NAQT Moderator
In 2006, Ken Jennings was a moderator at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournaments in Chicago. He also moderated in 2005 and 2009.
2006: American Crossword Puzzle Tournament Win
In 2006, Ken Jennings won the rookie division of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
2007: Appearance on Grand Slam
In 2007, Ken Jennings was a contestant on the game show Grand Slam.
2007: Marion Jones Stripped of Medals
In 2007, Marion Jones, whose last name was accepted in Ken Jennings's first Jeopardy! game on June 2, 2004, was stripped of her medals.
2007: Show Material Usage During Strike
In 2007, similar to the show's return for season 40 in late 2023, recycled material and clues written before the strike were used on Jeopardy!.
2008: Appearances on Stump the Master and Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
In 2008, Ken Jennings appeared on "Stump the Master" (2008-09) and "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"
2008: Appearance on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
In 2008, Ken Jennings appeared on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, increasing his total game show winnings, though Brad Rutter retained the record for highest Jeopardy! winnings.
2009: NAQT Moderator
In 2009, Ken Jennings was a moderator at the NAQT High School National Championship Tournaments in Chicago. He also moderated in 2005 and 2006.
October 2010: End of Six Degrees of Ken Jennings Column
The "Six Degrees of Ken Jennings" column in Mental Floss magazine, which Ken Jennings wrote, ran from November 2005 to the September-October 2010 issue.
2011: "IBM Challenge" on Jeopardy!
In 2011, Ken Jennings participated in the "IBM Challenge" on Jeopardy!, facing IBM's Watson. Watson won, and Jennings finished second, earning $300,000, half of which he pledged to charity.
2011: Asked to Run for Senate
In 2011, Ken Jennings recalled that in 2004, Democratic politicians Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid asked him to run for the United States Senate from Utah.
2011: Jeopardy!'s IBM Challenge
In 2011, Ken Jennings won a $300,000 second-place prize in Jeopardy!'s IBM Challenge.
2012: 2012 Jeopardy! College Champion
In 2012, Monica Thieu won the Jeopardy! College Champion tournament.
November 17, 2014: Wins $100,000
On November 17, 2014, Ken Jennings won $100,000.
2014: Rutter wins Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades
In 2014, Brad Rutter won the Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades tournament, once again surpassing Ken Jennings' total winnings.
2014: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Appearance
In 2014, Ken Jennings appeared on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" during Guinness World Records Edition themed week, winning $100,000.
2014: Jennings criticized for tweet about wheelchair user
In 2014, Ken Jennings faced criticism for posting a tweet stating, "Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair."
2014: Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades Tournament
In 2014, Ken Jennings participated in the Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades tournament, finishing in second place and winning $100,000.
March 2015: Parade Quiz Ceased and Archived Quizzes Removed
In March 2015, Parade magazine ceased the "Kennections" quiz and removed links to archived quizzes.
2015: 2015 Tournament of Champions
In 2015, Matt Jackson was the runner-up in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.
2016: Appearance on 500 Questions
In 2016, Ken Jennings appeared on the game show 500 Questions.
2016: 500 Questions Appearance
In 2016, Monica Thieu eliminated Ken Jennings in an episode of 500 Questions.
May 31, 2017: Jennings tweets joke about Barron Trump
On May 31, 2017, Ken Jennings tweeted a joke involving Barron Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump's son, drawing controversy.
September 7, 2017: Omnibus Podcast Launch
On September 7, 2017, HowStuffWorks unveiled "Omnibus", a new podcast co-hosted by Ken Jennings and John Roderick.
2017: Appearance on @midnight
In 2017, Ken Jennings appeared on the show @midnight.
2017: Hosts Omnibus Podcast
In 2017, Ken Jennings began hosting the Omnibus podcast.
March 2018: FleetWit Trivia Player
As of March 2018, Ken Jennings had answered 89% of questions correctly on the trivia app FleetWit, winning over $2,000.
August 2018: Jennings criticized for tweet about elderly woman
In August 2018, Ken Jennings received criticism for his description of an elderly woman tweeting about her deceased son, labeling her an "awful MAGA grandma".
2018: Publication of Planet Funny
In 2018, Ken Jennings published "Planet Funny: How Comedy Took Over Our Culture", analyzing the prevalence of comedy in mainstream pop culture.
August 9, 2019: Omnibus Podcast Shifts to Patreon
On August 9, 2019, Ken Jennings and John Roderick announced that their "Omnibus" podcast shifted to a Patreon-funded model.
2019: Jeopardy! All-Star Games
In 2019, Ken Jennings captained "Team Ken" in the Jeopardy! All-Star Games, finishing second and winning $100,000.
2019: Best Ever Trivia Show Debut
In 2019, Ken Jennings was one of eight recurring "Trivia Experts" for "Best Ever Trivia Show".
January 2020: Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time Tournament Win
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 achievements on game shows.
May 2020: LearnedLeague Participation
In May 2020, Ken Jennings's last active season in LearnedLeague (LL85) saw him finishing 5th in the A Rundle of the Laguna league.
September 2020: Consulting Producer for Jeopardy!
In September 2020, Ken Jennings signed on as a consulting producer for Jeopardy!'s 37th season. His role included reading on-air categories.
October 29, 2020: Alex Trebek Taped Final Episode
On October 29, 2020, Alex Trebek taped his final episode of Jeopardy! after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
November 2020: Chaser on The Chase Revival
In November 2020, Ken Jennings was announced as one of the chasers on the ABC revival of "The Chase", hosted by Sara Haines.
November 2020: Guest Host Announcement
In November 2020, Ken Jennings was announced as the first in a series of guest hosts for Jeopardy! following Alex Trebek's passing.
December 2020: Jennings apologizes for past tweets
In December 2020, Ken Jennings apologized on Twitter for some of his past tweets and subsequently deleted them.
2020: Jennings wins Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time
In 2020, Ken Jennings competed against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer in Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time, a special primetime series, and won.
2020: Returns to Jeopardy!
In 2020, Ken Jennings returned to Jeopardy! as a producer and later guest-hosted the program after Alex Trebek's death.
2020: Master Minds Appearance
In 2020, Ken Jennings was one of the six trivia experts on "Master Minds", the successor to "Best Ever Trivia Show".
2020: Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time
In 2020, Ken Jennings won a $1,000,000 first-place prize in Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.
2020: Controversy continues over 2014 tweet
In 2020, Ken Jennings' 2014 tweet about a "hot person in a wheelchair" continued to draw controversy, receiving condemnation from disability rights activists.
February 19, 2021: End of Guest Hosting Episodes
February 19, 2021 marked the end of Ken Jennings's initial run as guest host of Jeopardy!. His episodes aired from January 11 to February 19, 2021.
November 16, 2021: Discontinuation of "Trivia Tuesday" Newsletter
On November 16, 2021, Ken Jennings discontinued his "Trivia Tuesday" newsletter after 800 quizzes due to increasing commitments and lack of material.
2021: Splits Jeopardy! Hosting Duties
From 2021, Ken Jennings split full-time hosting duties on Jeopardy! with Mayim Bialik.
2021: Starts Hosting Jeopardy!
In 2021, Ken Jennings began hosting the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy!
2021: Guest Hosting and Permanent Hosting Duties
In 2021, Ken Jennings resumed hosting Jeopardy! alongside Mayim Bialik after Mike Richards was dismissed. Later, he and Bialik began splitting hosting duties full-time.
2022: Residence in Seattle
As of 2022, Ken Jennings primarily resides in Seattle, splitting his time between writing and hosting Jeopardy!, while taping the show in Culver City, California, and flying to Los Angeles twice a month.
January 1, 2023: Omnibus Podcast Reduced Schedule
On January 1, 2023, the "Omnibus" podcast decreased from twice to once a week due to Ken Jennings's Jeopardy! hosting duties.
May 8, 2023: Jeopardy! Masters Premiere
On May 8, 2023, Jeopardy! Masters, a new primetime tournament series hosted by Ken Jennings, premiered on ABC.
May 11, 2023: Bialik Withdraws from Jeopardy!
On May 11, 2023, Mayim Bialik withdrew from Jeopardy! due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, leading to Ken Jennings hosting the last 20 episodes of season 39.
May 2023: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Appearance
In May 2023, Ken Jennings competed against Mayim Bialik and Vanna White on an episode of "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune", winning $72,800 for the Equal Justice Initiative.
May 2023: Writers Guild Strike and Hosting
In May 2023, the Writers Guild of America announced a strike. Bialik did not participate in the show's final week of taping, and Ken Jennings was brought in as the host.
2023: Becomes Sole Jeopardy! Host
In 2023, Ken Jennings was made the sole host of Jeopardy!
2023: Jennings's Run Streams on Pluto TV
In 2023, Ken Jennings's entire Jeopardy! run was made available for streaming on Pluto TV.
March 25, 2025: Record Broken on Deal or No Deal Island
On March 25, 2025, David Genat broke Ken Jennings's record for highest-earning American game show contestant, winning $5,800,000 on Deal or No Deal Island.
July 30, 2025: Wins $1,000,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
On July 30, 2025, Ken Jennings and Matt Damon won $1,000,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for their charity, Water.org.
September 30, 2025: Jennings Leaving Omnibus as Regular Co-host
On September 30, 2025, it was announced that Ken Jennings would leave the "Omnibus" podcast as a regular co-host due to Jeopardy! commitments.
November 8, 2025: Final Omnibus Performance
On November 8, 2025, Ken Jennings did his final performance live on the Omnibus podcast in Seattle.
2025: Second Highest-Earning Game Show Contestant
As of 2025, Ken Jennings is the second highest-earning American game show contestant, having won money on five different programs, including $4,522,700 on Jeopardy!.
2025: The Complete Kennections Publication
In 2025, "The Complete Kennections", a book compiling 1,000 of the Kennections puzzles, was published.
2025: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Appearance with Matt Damon
In 2025, Ken Jennings appeared on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" with Matt Damon, winning $1,000,000 for Water.org.
2025: End of Omnibus Podcast
In 2025, Ken Jennings concluded his time as host of the Omnibus podcast.
January 7, 2026: Jennings tweets about Renée Good's killing
On January 7, 2026, Ken Jennings wrote on Bluesky about the killing of Renée Good by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expressing his support for a candidate who would prosecute the former regime.
2028: Jennings expresses vote for 'prosecute the former regime' candidate
In 2028, Ken Jennings expressed his intention to vote for a candidate who would "prosecute the former regime at every level" following the killing of Renée Good.
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