Beloved game show host Alex Trebek will live on forever after being honored by the United States Post Office with his very own “Forever stamp.” The “Jeopardy!” host made history when he left the popular show after 37 seasons. In 2019, he announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and died on November 8, 2020, only 10 days after filming his last episode, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The new honorary stamp was released during a ceremony in Culver City, California, that celebrated the 60th anniversary of the game show and an additional 84th birthday celebration in honor of Trebek. Jean Trebek, the game show host’s widow, said at the ceremony at John Calley Park at Sony Pictures Studios, according to the USPS press release, “My family and I were completely surprised about Alex being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. It is such an extraordinary honor and a wonderful way to recognize what Alex meant to so many people.” She continued, “Alex would be over the moon about this distinctive honor, and he’d feel very humbled. I think the stamp design is very creative because Alex Trebek is the answer to all the clues.”
The stamps pay tribute to the game show’s classic “answer-and-question format” along with its recognizable font and coloring. The answer on the stamp celebrates the longtime host by stating a fact about his time on the show. “This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ for 37 seasons,” the stamp states. Underneath the blue and white colored homage is the correct question — which reads, “Who is Alex Trebek?” The sheet of 20 stamps has four categories listed at the top, resembling the gameplay screens from the iconic game show led by Trebek.
The categories listed are: Entertainment, Game Show Hosts, Famous Alexes, and “Forever Stamps.” Ken Jennings, standout “Jeopardy!” contestant and Trebek’s successor as host, said, “It’s so appropriate that the stamp illustration commemorates Alex with a ‘Jeopardy!’ clue. He loved the game so much, and he always insisted the clues were the true star of the show. Alex Trebek was an American institution, so it makes perfect sense to honor him with a postage stamp. And, of course, I had to geek out when I saw that the full sheet of stamps looked like a ‘Jeopardy!’ game board.”
Trebek first started hosting Jeopardy in 1984 and continued to serve as the game show’s host until 2020. The last episode featuring Trebek as host had a record 14 million viewers, which aired three months after his death. “Millions of Americans invited Alex Trebek into their living rooms each weeknight,” Michael Elston, secretary of the USPS Board of Governors, shared in a press release.
“After thousands of shows over 37 seasons, he was someone we trusted and felt like we knew. And with his intelligence and wit, he made it cool to be smart.”