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<noinclude>
{{Infobox Person
{{feedback}}
| name = Ken Jennings
| image = mckaysalisbury_KenJennings.jpg
| birth_name = Kenneth Wayne Jennings III
[[User:AlexNewArtBot/MicrobiologySearchResult/archive|Archives]] of this page
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|5|23}}
[[Category:Newpage bot search results|Microbiology]] </noinclude>
| birth_place = [[Edmonds, WA|Edmonds]], [[Washington]]
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| occupation = [[Software engineer]]<br>74-time ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' champion<br>Author
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{{about|the ''Jeopardy!'' champion|other people with the same name|Ken Jennings (disambiguation)}}
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''' Kenneth Wayne Jennings III''' (born [[May 23]], [[1974]]) holds the record for the longest winning streak on the [[United States|U.S.]] [[Television syndication|syndicated]] [[game show]] ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' Jennings won 74 games before he was defeated by challenger Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance. His total earnings on ''Jeopardy!'' are [[USD|US $]]3,022,700 ($2,520,700 in winnings, a $2,000 2nd-place prize in his 75th appearance, and $500,000 in the [[Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions|''Jeopardy!'' Ultimate Tournament of Champions]]).<ref>[http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=661 J! Archive Ken Jennings player page]</ref> Jennings held the record for most money won on any game show ever until the end of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions (first aired on [[May 25]], [[2005]]), when he was displaced by [[Brad Rutter]], who defeated Jennings in that tournament, but recently won it back on [[Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (U.S. game show)|Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?]].
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After winning, he began working on a book, ''Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs'', which explored American [[trivia]] history and culture. Jennings also appeared as a member of the mob (sitting at podium #13) on the game show ''[[1 vs. 100 (US game show)|1 vs. 100]]'' in 2006, and in 2007 Jennings was the champion of the first season of the US version of ''[[Grand Slam (U.S. TV series)|Grand Slam]]''.
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== Biography ==
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Born in [[Edmonds, Washington]], Jennings grew up in [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]] (1981&ndash;1992) and [[Singapore]] (1992&ndash;1996), where his father worked for an [[international law]] firm and then as Asia Pacific Division Counsel of [[Oracle Corporation]].<ref>[http://www.colterjennings.com/Sites/Attorneys.htm ColterJennings attorneys list]</ref> He watched ''Jeopardy!'' on [[American Forces Network]] television while growing up.<ref name="brainiac">{{cite book | last = Jennings| first = Mike | title = Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs | year = 2006|publisher = [[Random House]] | id = ISBN 1-4000-6445-7 }}</ref>
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Jennings graduated with a [[Academic degree|degree]] in [[Computer Science]] and [[English studies|English]] at [[Brigham Young University]], where he played on the school's [[quizbowl]] team for three and a half years. He graduated from [[Seoul Foreign School]] where he completed an [[International Baccalaureate]] diploma, and achieved honors at Brigham Young.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Jennings attended the [[University of Washington]] during his freshman year.<ref name="aboutken">{{cite web | title = About Ken | publisher = Ken Jennings | url = http://www.ken-jennings.com/aboutken.html | accessdate = 2006-07-15}}</ref>
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Jennings is a [[Mormon]], a member of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. He served a two-year [[Mormon missionary|mission]] in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]] from 1993 to 1995.

As reported by ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]'' and other sources<ref>Jennings' Democratic affiliation is referred to by [http://hedgehogcentral.blogspot.com/2007/12/now-even-ken-jennings-is-involved-in.html ''The Hedgehog Blog''] and [http://mormondemocrat.com/hall.aspx ''The Mormon Democrat'']. Jennings noted his satisfaction with Democratic electoral victories [http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=241 on his own blog].</ref>, Jennings is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], which some feel runs against the grain of the cultural leanings of many members of his church.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stack, Peggy Fletcher|coauthors=Robert Gehrke|title=Mormons in D.C. -- Members increasingly influential in Washington scene|work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|date=April 10, 2005|url=http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article_print.cfm?id=2606|accessdate=2008-08-28}}</ref>

Now residing just outside [[Seattle, Washington]], Jennings identifies himself as an avid [[comic book]] and [[film|movie]] buff with a website listing his top 4,000 favorite movies. He also writes questions for, edits the [[literature]] and [[mythology]] categories of questions of, and is otherwise active in the [[National Academic Quiz Tournaments]] (NAQT), a quiz bowl organization;<ref>[http://naqt.com/biographies.html National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in particular, he moderated (i.e., read questions) at the 2005 and 2006 NAQT National High School Tournaments in [[Chicago]].

During his ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' winning streak, Jennings was a [[software engineer]] for [[CHG Healthcare]][http://www.chghealthcare.org], a healthcare-placement firm in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]].

He and his wife Mindy (née Boam) [http://www.ken-jennings.com/aboutken.html] have a son, Dylan, born in 2003, and a daughter, Caitlin, born in 2006.<ref>[http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=248 Brainiac’s daughter] Ken Jennings. Retrieved on [[2006-11-14]].</ref>

== Streak on ''Jeopardy!'' ==
[[Image:Ken jennings name001.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Each game of ''Jeopardy!'' he played, Jennings varied the style of his display name with which he signed in. Here, a small sampling of some of the designs he used are shown.]]
Before 2003, ''Jeopardy!'' contestants were limited to five consecutive games. At the beginning of the show's twentieth season (in 2003), the rules were changed to allow contestants to remain on the show as long as they continued to win.<ref>{{Cite press release | title="JEOPARDY!" PREMIERES MILESTONE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON SEPTEMBER 8, 2003: America’s Favorite Quiz Show Launches Season 20 With Many Exciting and Historic "Firsts" | url=http://www.kingworld.com/PressRelease.aspx?pressReleaseID=126 | publisher = King World | date=[[2003-09-04]] | accessdate=2006-11-29 }}</ref> After this rule change, and until Jennings's run, the record winning streak was set by [[Tom Walsh (game show contestant)|Tom Walsh]], who won $186,900 in eight games in January 2004.<ref>[http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tdciago/jeoparchive/011404.html Tom Walsh game 8 on the JEOPARCHIVE!]</ref>

Jennings had long prepared for ''Jeopardy!'' by competing on BYU's Quiz Bowl Team. Jennings also studied the book ''How to Get on Jeopardy! and Win'' by 1996 ''Jeopardy!'' Tournament of Champions winner Michael Dupee. Jennings's run began during ''Jeopardy!''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 20th season with the episode aired on Wednesday, [[June 2]], [[2004]], and continued into Season 21. The 2004 [[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions|Tournament of Champions]] (aired from [[September 20]], [[2004]] through [[October 1]], [[2004]]) was taped without his participation, as he was not yet defeated. (In theory, if Jennings had remained undefeated through the 2004–2005 season, there would not have been a Tournament of Champions for that season because Jennings would have been the sole champion.)

=== End of the streak ===
On [[November 30]], [[2004]], Jennings' long reign as ''Jeopardy!'' champion ended when he lost his seventy-fifth game to challenger Nancy Zerg.<ref>[http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=62 J! Archive - Show #4657 - Tuesday, November 30, 2004]</ref> Jennings responded incorrectly to both Double Jeopardy! Daily Doubles, losing him a combined $10,400 because of his high wagers. Due to this, Ken's lead over the second-place contestant (Zerg) heading into Final Jeopardy was not insurmountable, as it had been for 65 of his previous 74 victories.<ref>[http://kenjenningsstatistics.blogspot.com Ken Jennings Detailed Statistics]</ref> The third contestant, David Hankins, had a negative score and thus was not allowed to participate.

The Final Jeopardy! category was Business & Industry, and the clue was "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal [[white-collar worker|white-collar employees]] work only four months a year". Zerg responded correctly, with a response of "What is [[H&R Block]]?". Her wager of $4,401 took her score to $14,401, $1 ahead of Ken Jennings. Jennings responded with "What is [[FedEx]]?", dropping his score by $5,601 to $8,799 and unseating him as Jeopardy! champion for the first time in nearly six months.

Zerg and Jennings shook hands and hugged as the audience gave him a standing ovation. Immediately after she won, [[Alex Trebek]] dubbed Nancy Zerg a "giant-killer" for her accomplishment of finally beating the long-standing champ. Jennings' final total, along with his consolation prize for finishing in second place, was $2,522,700. Jennings' running time period totaled 182 calendar days, including his first and last appearances.

Jennings said in an interview that the loss was "no fluke" and that Zerg was a formidable opponent.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} She was defeated the following day, finishing in third place with $2.

=== Special facts about the streak ===
Along the way, Jennings defeated at least three contestants who are current quiz bowl players; Matt Bruce, a fellow NAQT quiz question editor, was selected to appear on the show during Jennings's run, but, as someone with more than a casual acquaintance with Jennings, could not compete against him because of standards and practices rules.<ref name="brainiac"/>

''Jeopardy!'' implemented some backstage changes during Jennings's run. Normally players only get a short time of practice with the buzzers; however, more rehearsal time was added so that the new players could get comfortable. Additionally, the person who managed the buzzer system was changed.<ref>{{cite web | last = Paquet | first = Paul | title = Backstage with Ken Jennings | work = TriviaHallofFame.com | publisher = Cornerstone Word Company | month = January | year = 2005 | url = http://www.triviahalloffame.com/kenjennings.htm | accessdate = 2006-07-07 }}</ref>

On [[December 1]], [[2004]], the show broke with tradition by having Jennings make a "guest appearance" at the start of the broadcast, during which host [[Alex Trebek]] acknowledged his success and enumerated the various game show records he had broken.
In the Guinness Book of World Records Ken Jennings appeared in "Most cash on a game show."

=== Ratings impact ===
According to the Nielsen TV National People Meter, ''Jeopardy!''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ratings were 22% higher during Jennings's run than they were during the same period the previous year. For several weeks of the winnings streak, Jeopardy! was ranked as TV's highest-rated syndicated program.<ref>{{Cite press release | title="JEOPARDY!" STREAK OVER: Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700 | url=http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html | publisher = King World | date=2004-11-30 | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> By the end of ''Jeopardy!''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 20th season several weeks later, the show had surpassed ''[[Wheel of Fortune (US game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' in the ratings (the first time any show had displaced ''Wheel'' as the highest rated syndicated television show since 1984{{Fact|date=March 2007}}), but ''Wheel'', which is usually paired with ''Jeopardy!'' in programming, also benefited from Jennings's streak.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.entertainment-news.org/breaking/2376/jeopardy-caps-season-on-winning-streak.html | title = 'Jeopardy!' Caps Season on Winning Streak |author = Kimberly Speight | accessdate = 2006-11-29 |date=August 4, 2004 }}</ref>

=== Other media appearances ===
Jennings has received a good deal of American media coverage. After his 31st win on ''Jeopardy!'', during the summer break between tapings, Jennings made a guest appearance on ''[[Live with Regis and Kelly]]''. There Jennings revealed that he had failed to qualify for ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]'', once hosted by [[Regis Philbin]]. During that guest appearance, Jennings said, "''Jeopardy!'' is a man's game... it's not like ''Millionaire''."<ref>[http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?p=182714 Transcript of Ken Jennings's appearance on ''Live with Regis and Kelly'']</ref>

Jennings appeared on ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]'' to present [[David Letterman|Letterman]]'s "Top Ten List". He appeared again on the program on the night his final show was televised, in addition to interview segments airing that night on local 11 p.m. news programming and on ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]''. [[Barbara Walters]] selected Jennings as one of the "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004" for her twelfth annual [[ABC News]] special, which aired on [[December 8]], [[2004]]. While on his media tour following his final game, Jennings taped a segment for a future episode of ''[[Sesame Street]]''. ''[[TV Guide]]'' featured a segment of "The Top Ten TV Moments of 2004", in which Ken Jennings' loss placed third.

[[A&E Network|A&E]] aired on [[December 1]], [[2004]] an episode of the ''[[Biography (television program)|Biography]]'' television program on Jennings and other ''Jeopardy!'' notables, including [[Frank Spangenberg]] and [[Eddie Timanus]].

He also appeared twice on [[NPR]]'s ''[[Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me]]'' program. In his Feb. 25, 2006 appearance he answered all three questions correctly leading him to say "This is, this is the proudest moment of my game show life."[http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35&agg=0&prgDate=02-25-2006&view=storyview]

In 2006, Jennings was a celebrity member of the Mob on ''[[1 vs. 100 (US game show)|1 vs. 100]]'', beginning with its [[October 13]] premiere. He was eliminated on [[October 20]] when he missed a question about roulette, leaving with winnings of $741.29 (part of a $35,000 prize shared among 49 Mob members). He made another appearance on [[February 9]] [[2007]] on a special episode that brought back a number of notable mob members for a winner-take-all showdown; there, he was eliminated from the final five on a question about which celebrity had had the most marriages. If he had won this tournament, his $100,000 prize for winning ''Grand Slam'' would have returned Ken to first place in the game show winnings world.

Jennings is the champion of the 2007 US version of [[Grand Slam (US TV series)|''Grand Slam'']], a single elimination tournament among top quiz show contestants.

He has appeared on an episode of [[Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?]] that aired on October 10, 2008, He dropped out of school thus earning him $500,000 and giving him the record of the most game show winnings ever earned by one person.

== After ''Jeopardy!'' ==
When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, Jennings said that he intended to [[tithe]] ten percent to his [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|church]], donate to [[public television]] and [[National Public Radio]], go on a trip to Europe, and invest the rest for his family.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ''Jeopardy!'' contestants typically receive their winnings approximately 120 days after their last game airs in the form of a check.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Taking advantage of its notoriety from the crucial clue, H&R Block offered Jennings free tax planning and financial services for the rest of his life.<ref name="hrblock" /> H&R Block senior vice president David Byers estimated that Jennings would owe approximately $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings. Combined with a ten percent tithe, this would leave him approximately $1,230,430 to use for other purposes.

According to [[Variety (magazine)|Variety.com]], Jennings and television producer [[Michael Davies (television producer)|Michael Davies]] teamed up as executive producers on a new game show format for [[Comedy Central]]. According to Comedy Central execs, it was planned that Jennings would co-host and participate.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117923359.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 | title = Trivia titan gets series: Comedy, Jennings prep game | accessdate = 2006-11-29|date = 2005-05-24 }}</ref> The series was planned to air in late 2005 or the first quarter of 2006, but as of April 2006, development had stalled, and the show's future remains uncertain. Jennings explained on his website that "[[The Colbert Report|Stephen Colbert's show]] was doing so well in its post-''[[The Daily Show|Daily Show]]'' spot that Comedy Central decided they weren't in the market for a quiz show anymore." However, he is still shopping for a network for a potential game show titled, ''[[Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World]]''.<ref>{{cite web | author = Ken Jennings | title = FAQ: Life A.T. (After Trebek) | url = http://www.ken-jennings.com/faqlifeat.html#gameshow | year = 2006 | accessdate = 2006-06-29 }}</ref>

Jennings later appeared as a guest on ''The Colbert Report'' in September 2006.

Jennings has written two books, both published by the [[Villard (imprint)|Villard]] imprint of [[Random House]]. The first, ''Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs'' (2006, ISBN 1-4000-6445-7, trade paperback ISBN 0-8129-7499-9) details his experiences on ''Jeopardy!'' and his research into trivia culture conducted after the completion of his run.<ref name="brainiac" /> The second, ''Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days'' (released in January 2008, ISBN 0-345-59997-2), is a compilation of trivia questions.

Jennings also has a column in ''[[Mental Floss]]'' magazine, in which readers give him two wildly different things and he has to connect them in exactly six moves, much in the same vein as the [[Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon]].<ref>{{Cite press release | title=''mental_floss'' media kit | url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/pdf/mf_mediakit.pdf|format=[[PDF]] | publisher = Mental Floss LLC | accessdate =2006-07-20 }}. See sample table of contents of [http://www.mentalfloss.com/magazine/issues/0504.php mental_floss] magazine.</ref>

Ken Jennings also appeared on the NBC game show ''[[1 vs. 100 (US game show)|1 vs. 100]]'' on [[October 13]], [[2006]] as a mob member. Ken was a mob member until he lost on the second episode. The question Ken Jennings answered incorrectly was "What color is the number 1 space on a standard roulette wheel?" While the correct answer is red, Jennings answered black.<ref>[http://www.ken-jennings.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=6518 Transcript of ''1 vs. 100'' episode 2]</ref> Jennings also appeared in a special "Last Man Standing" episode of the show on [[February 9]] [[2007]]. He was eliminated on the final question, where he was asked who of a selection of three people were married the most times. He answered [[King Henry VIII]], while the correct answer was [[Larry King]]. This episode was the first time Jennings had a chance at a rematch against rival [[Brad Rutter]]. After waiting three years, Jennings finally beat Rutter by making it to the final 5, whereas Rutter only lasted to top 25.

{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 25em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | '''Grand Slam History'''
|-
! Championships:
| 2007 Grand Slam*
|-
! First appearance:
| 2007 Grand Slam*
|-
! Winnings:
| $100,000
|}

In Summer 2007 Jennings appeared as a contestant on the game show ''[[Grand Slam (US TV series)|Grand Slam]]'' hosted by [[Dennis Miller]] and [[Amanda Byram]]. The show debuted on [[GSN]] on [[August 4]], [[2007]], and featured sixteen former game-show winners in a single-elimination tournament. Jennings, the second seed in the 16-player tournament, won the competition and became the 2007 Grand Slam Champion after defeating [[Ogi Ogas]] in the finals. (Ogas had defeated Rutter in an earlier round.)

On October 10, 2008 he became the all time top game show earner on the show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. He won $500,000 to bring his grand total of $3,623,414.29 taking back the all time lead from Brad Rutter. Advancing to the million dollar question and learning that the final topic was [[Social Studies]], Jennings felt he did not confidently know enough about the subject and opted out "with a clear conscience". After opting out, the million dollar question was revealed ("President John Adams was a member of which political party" and Jennings realized that he did know the answer ("Federalist").

=== Blog entry misinterpreted as critical of ''Jeopardy!'' ===
Jennings made the news in July 2006 when a news article<ref>{{cite news |last=Starr |first=Michael |url=http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/gift_horse__meet_ken_jennings_entertainment_michael_starr.htm |title=Gift Horse, Meet Ken Jennings |publisher=New York Post |date=[[2006-07-25]] |accessdate=2006-07-25 }}</ref> was published claiming that he was critical of ''Jeopardy!'' on his blog.<ref name=Jennings70>{{cite web |url=http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=70 |title=Dear Jeopardy! |work=Ken Jennings' personal blog |date=[[2006-07-19]] |accessdate=2006-07-25 }}</ref> Citing statements that he wrote there, the article focuses on his "criticism" of the show and host [[Alex Trebek]].

:"Nobody knows he died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trebektron 4000 (I see your engineers still can't get the mustache right, by the way)."
:"You're like the [[Dorian Gray]] of syndication. You seem to think 'change' means replacing a blue polyethylene backdrop with a slightly different shade of blue polyethylene backdrop every presidential election or so."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/25/people.kenjennings.ap/index.html |title='Jeopardy' champ Jennings jabs show |publisher=CNN |date=[[2006-07-25]] |accessdate=2006-07-25 }} Copyright Associated Press.</ref></blockquote>

However, the article failed to quote obviously satirical sections of Ken's blog post, such as the following:

:Fourth, why are there no [[Double Dare|physical challenges]]? It doesn’t have to be [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] déclassé, buckets of [[You Can't Do That on Television#Water, slime and pies|green ooze]] falling from the ceiling. It could be tasteful and restrained. Like, if you know the answer, you have to run from your podium to the game board, jump up to touch the clue in question, and give the answer. “What is an Arby-Q?” Then you run back to your podium to select again. Some of these contestants, frankly, could use the exercise. Oh, also, there are angry bees.<ref name=Jennings70 />

Jennings responded on his blog saying,
:"...there’s no way I was genuinely calling for angry bees and ventriloquist’s dummies to be added to the ''Jeopardy!'' format. It’s a humor piece, and one which gets its laughs from the outrageous non sequiturs it proposes, not the ripeness of its target for criticism."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=83 |title=Sense of humor, meet Michael Starr |work=Ken Jennings' personal blog |date=[[2006-07-25]] |accessdate=2006-07-25 }}</ref>

Jennings had already posted a more serious comment on Trebek that remains on his website:
:"The first thing you notice is that the seriousness-to-the-point-of-pomposity thing that he does on air is mostly a put-on. In person, he's a lot looser, prone to little jokes, accents, snippets of song and even soft-shoe. Like Alex or dislike him, you have to admit that he has one of the toughest jobs in show business—reading 61 clues flawlessly while running a fast-paced game show is an amazingly difficult task—yet he's made it look easy, every weekday for the last two decades. So ease up on the Trebek-hatin', y'all."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ken-jennings.com/faqjeopardy.html#trebekfact |title=Ken Jennings' website - FAQ |accessdate=2006-07-25 }}</ref>

Jennings also appeared on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' on [[September 14]] [[2006]]. During the interview, [[Stephen Colbert (character)|Colbert]] discussed Jennings' book, ''Brainiac'' and mocked him not knowing how many pages the book contained. After Colbert coined a word to describe intellectual nerdiness, "poindexterity", Jennings stated that after winning on ''Jeopardy!'', he ceased to be a "[[poindexter]]". Jennings noted, as he had done earlier that day on [[National Public Radio|NPR]]'s ''[[Talk of the Nation]]'' that since his streak, people "seem to have an extra-hard trivia question" in case they run into him. In keeping with his hyper-American TV personality, Colbert asked how Jennings could stand Alex Trebek, a [[Canada|Canadian]]. Jennings jokingly responded that "Trebek did not smell of" his native country.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

=== American Crossword Puzzle Tournament ===
Jennings won the [[rookie]] division of the [[ACPT|American Crossword Puzzle Tournament]] (ACPT) in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/bg040206.htm|title=Crossed Up by the K in Connecticut|accessdate=2007-02-12 }}</ref> In his first time competing, Jennings placed 37th overall. He also served as the awards presenter, becoming the first contestant to present an award to himself.

== Ultimate Tournament of Champions ==
On [[December 28]], [[2004]], Sony announced a 15-week, 75-show [[Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions|''Jeopardy!'' Ultimate Tournament of Champions]]. It featured Tournament of Champions, College Championship, and Teen Tournament winners from the show's 21-year run, as well as over 100 five-time champions. ''Jeopardy!''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s executive producer, Harry Friedman, explained:

:"The 2003 rule change, which allows ''Jeopardy!'' players to keep playing until they're defeated, raised the question about how other five-time champions might have played under this rule. This tournament is an opportunity to give those past champions another chance to shine."

The field totaled 145 players including Jennings, who, unlike the other competitors, was automatically placed in the finals. The Ultimate Tournament of Champions offered a substantial purse, with a grand prize of $2,000,000 to the winner, $500,000 for the first runner-up, and $250,000 for the second runner-up. Guaranteed prize money was offered to all contestants.

In the final round of the Ultimate Tournament, [[Brad Rutter]] decisively defeated Jennings and [[Jerome Vered]], with respective final scores of $62,000, $34,599, and $20,600. Jennings won the $500,000 prize for second place, but as a result of the Ultimate Tournament, Rutter displaced him as the highest overall winner of money on a game show. Jennings has said he is still happy with his second-place finish.

== Records ==
During his streak, Jennings broke the following records:
{| class="wikitable"
!Description
!Current Record
!Previous Record
|-
|Most consecutive appearances on ''[[Jeopardy!]]''
|rowspan=2 |75 episodes (74 wins, 1 loss)
|8 episodes (7 wins, 1 loss) by [[Tom Walsh (game show contestant)|Tom Walsh]], [[January 5]]&ndash;14, 2004
|-
|Most consecutive appearances on a syndicated game show
|46 episodes (43 wins, 4 ties, 1 loss - more than one game could be played on an episode, and some games were part of two episodes) by [[Thom McKee]] on ''[[Tic Tac Dough]]'', 1980
|-
|Most total appearances on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', including tournaments
|78 episodes (including Ultimate Tournament of Champions)
|16 episodes by [[Bob Verini]], 1986&ndash;2002 (regular season-5x, Tournament of Champions-4x, ''Super Jeopardy!''-3x, Masters Tournament-4x)
|-
|Highest total winnings on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' in non-tournament play*
|rowspan=1 |US$2,522,700
|US$184,900 by Tom Walsh, [[January 5]]&ndash;13, 2004

US$102,597 (adjusted to $205,194) by [[Frank Spangenberg]], [[January 9]]&ndash;15, 1990 (prior to increase in clue value)
|-
|Highest total winnings in one game of ''[[Jeopardy!]]''
|US$75,000 (game 38)
|US$52,000 by [[Brian Weikle]], [[April 14]], [[2003]] (Jennings intentionally tied this record three times before he broke it<ref>{{cite news |title= 'Jeopardy!' finishes year with Utahn going strong |date=[[2004-07-24]] |location=Salt Lake City |first=Lindsie |last=Taylor |publisher=Deseret Morning News |accessdate=2006-10-11 |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040724/ai_n11470807 }}</ref>)

US$34,000 (adjusted to $68,000) by [[Jerome Vered]], [[May 21]], [[1992]] (prior to 2001 increase in clue value)
|-
|Highest 5-game total on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', consecutive
|US$221,200 (games 34&ndash;38)
|rowspan=2|US$154,200 by Tom Walsh (games 3&ndash;7), [[January 7]]&ndash;13, 2004
US$102,597 (adjusted to $205,194) by Frank Spangenberg, [[January 9]]&ndash;15, 1990 (prior to increase in clue value)
|-
|Highest 5-game total on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', best 5 games
|US$286,099 (games 28, 29, 37, 38, and 71)
|-
|colspan=3|*Not included in these totals is a $2,000 consolation prize Jennings and Walsh each received for finishing in second place at the end of their respective runs. Spangenberg only received $75,000 of his winnings due to an earnings cap in effect at the time; the balance went to charity.
|}

He also tied the following records:
{| class="wikitable"
!Description
!Current Record
|-
|Most consecutive appearances on a game show
|75 episodes by [[Ian Lygo]] on ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', 1998*
|-
|Most opponents defeated on a game show
|150 by [[Ian Lygo]] on ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', 1998**
|}

Five game show records remained that Jennings did not tie or break:
{| class="wikitable"
!Description
!Current Record
|-
|Most wins on a single game show
|75 times by [[Ian Lygo]] on ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', 1998* (although including the Tournament of Champions, Ken won 75 times)
|-
|Most consecutive wins on a game show
|75 times by [[Ian Lygo]] on ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', 1998*
|-
|Most opponents defeated <em>consecutively</em> on a game show
|150 by [[Ian Lygo]] on ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', 1998**
|-
|Most games played on a game show
|89 by [[Thom McKee]] on ''[[Tic Tac Dough]]'', 1980 (43 wins, 2 losses, 44 ties, includes Tournament of Champions appearance.)
|-
|Highest 5-game total on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', first 5 games (adjusted)
|US$205,194 (adjusted from US$102,597) by Frank Spangenberg, [[January 9]]&ndash;15, 1990 (after increase in clue value)
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Lygo was forced to retire by producer RTL Group.

<nowiki>**</nowiki> In ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'', Lygo faced two opponents per game. Jennings bested 149 opponents during his tenure, and a 150th opponent&mdash;Jerome Vered&mdash;in tournament play.

The following records, having been set by Ken Jennings, have now been broken by others:

{| class="wikitable"
!Description
!Current Record
!Previous Record
|-
|Highest total earnings on ''[[Jeopardy!]]''
|rowspan = 2 |US$3,255,102 by [[Brad Rutter]], [[May 25]], [[2005]] (Does not include value of two 2000 Chevrolet Camaro coupes he won as a five-time champion.)
|rowspan = 2 |US$2,522,700 by Ken Jennings*
|-
|Highest total earnings on any single game show
|-
|Highest 5-game total on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'', first 5 games (unadjusted)
|rowspan = 1|US$179,797 by [[Larissa Kelly]], [[May 26]], [[2008]]
|rowspan = 1|US$156,000 by Ken Jennings
|-
|colspan=3|*Not included in Jennings's total is the $500,000 he earned at the same time as Rutter earned $2,000,000 in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions to set the new record. Jennings has an overall game-show winnings total of $3,123,414.29, including $714.29 in winnings from ''1 vs 100'', where he was a one of 49 members of the mob on the [[October 20]], [[2006]] episode which split $35,000 in winnings when a contestant answered a question incorrectly, and $100,000 from his appearance on GSN's Grand Slam, in which he finished first.
|}
Jennings was not eligible for the 2006 Tournament of Champions. By accepting a bye into the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Jennings was guaranteed $250,000. This bye also required that he give up his right to play in the 2006 Tournament of Champions.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} Rutter's total of $3,255,102 includes $55,102 in his five days and $3,000,000 in special tournament play, but does not include his two [[Chevrolet Camaro]]s he won on the game.

== Game summaries ==
Comprehensive game summaries for each day of Ken Jennings' streak [[Ken Jennings game summaries|have been compiled here]].

== Loss on ''Jeopardy!'' and final statistics ==
In a [[rumor]] disclosed on Wednesday, [[September 8]], [[2004]], two sources who were at the taping on [[September 7]], [[2004]] reported that Jennings had lost on his 75th episode, taped the day before, with total winnings at around $2.5 million.<ref>[http://www.kottke.org/04/09/some-ken-jennings-news Some Ken Jennings News]. [[September 9]], [[2004]] Retrieved on [[January 20]], [[2007]].</ref> (''Jeopardy!'' tapes five shows per day.) This incident was reported by ''TV Week'' and the [[Associated Press]], appearing in hundreds of newspapers across the [[United States of America|United States]]. A few days later, another rumor spread giving out an incorrect first name of the contestant who had beaten him. Despite this, ''Jeopardy!'' refused to comment.

It was later determined that Jennings had indeed lost as initially reported, with the failing episode shown in most North American cities on Tuesday, [[November 30]], [[2004]].

To make it more difficult for viewers{{fact|date=July 2008}} to keep track of Ken's progress towards his final episode, in early September 2004 the show's announcer, [[Johnny Gilbert]], ceased mentioning the number of games that Jennings had won, as had been the show's custom. However, some people in the studio audience reported that he was still announcing them, possibly meaning those parts had been edited out of the airing.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} In any case, during the 74th game, which aired on Monday, [[November 29]], Gilbert resumed announcing the number of games.

Jennings broke almost every game show record in his run. [[Ian Lygo]] appeared on the British game show ''[[100% (game show)|100%]]'' 75 consecutive times and won every game until he was forced to retire by the show's producers. After Jennings' 75th show, he tied Lygo's record of 75 consecutive appearances and, with 74 wins, he almost reached Lygo's record of 75 consecutive game show wins.

== Endorsements ==
Jennings’ success has resulted in him being a popular individual amongst corporations looking for public endorsers.

[[H&R Block]], the firm named in the answer he missed, announced in a press release<ref>{{cite press release | title = Q.: “What is H&R Block?” A.: The Company You Turn to for Tax and Financial Assistance | publisher = H&R Block | date = [[2004-11-30]] | url = http://www.hrblock.com/presscenter/pressreleases/pressRelease.jsp?PRESS_RELEASE_ID=1245 | accessdate = 2006-07-07 }}</ref> that they were offering him a deal for free tax preparation and financial services for the rest of his life. According to H&R Block, Jennings could pay over $1.045 million alone in taxes,<ref name="hrblock">{{cite news | last = Roth | first = Stephen | title = Block offers Jeopardy! champ tax services for life | work = Kansas City Business Journal | publisher = American City Business Journals | date = [[2004-11-30]] | url = http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/11/29/daily18.html|accessdate = 2006-07-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = ‘Jeopardy’ streak comes to end | work = MSNBC.com | publisher = The Associated Press | date = 2004-12-01 | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6620424/ | accessdate = 2006-07-07 }}</ref> more than any quiz show contestant.

Jennings has also agreed to a deal with [[Microsoft]] to promote their [[Encarta]] encyclopedia software.

He is also engaged in speaking deals through the Massachusetts-based speakers agency, [http://www.apbspeakers.com/themes/DefaultView/Site?aspx?PAGE=HOME American Program Bureau].

University Games produced a ''Can You Beat Ken?'' board game, in which players vie against each other and Jennings in an attempt to earn $2.6 million first. Each question in the game was asked to Jennings, and his answers are recorded on the cards.

[[Cingular Wireless]] (now AT&T) featured Jennings in commercials portraying Jennings as having lots of "friends and family" (coming out of the woodwork, because he is now "stinking rich") in 2005.

Ken Jennings also appeared on commercials for [[Allstate Corporation|Allstate Insurance]]. Also starring [[Dennis Haysbert]], the advertisements parody a typical Final Jeopardy! situation, and parody Ken's usual style of guessing at answers by having him answer the question in a humorous, over-the-top inquisitive fashion.

[[Comedy Central]] had announced that they had inked a deal for Ken to host a new game show on their network, likely to begin sometime in 2006. According to Ken Jennings' website, the proposed program was to follow ''[[The Daily Show]]'', but due to the success of ''[[The Colbert Report]]'', Comedy Central decided against doing a quiz show. Jennings hopes that the show, "...modestly titled ''Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World''", will be produced for some other network.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.ken-jennings.com/faqlifeat.html#gameshow |title=Ken Jennings' website - FAQ |accessdate = 2006-08-10}} </ref>

==Ken Jennings in pop culture==
* On an episode of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] [[sketch comedy]] ''[[MADtv|Mad TV]]'', [[Alex Trebek]], played by Ike Barinholtz, urges the other contestants to buzz in before Jennings, played by Ron Pederson. Trebek is so fed up with Jennings' winning streak that he shoots the champ, who turns out to be a robot.

== Trivia and trademarks ==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
* During game 53 of his streak, Jennings was given the clue "This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker." Without missing a beat, Jennings replied, "What's a [[ho]](e)?" Trebek replied "No", caught the audience's laughter, and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! They teach you that in school in Utah, huh?" (The correct response was "What is a [[Rake (character)|rake]]<!-- [[WP:IAR]]: link to a dab page when the link intends to show multiple meanings -->?")
* On [[ESPN]]'s ''[[Pardon the Interruption]]'', Jennings was often referred to by panelists [[Tony Kornheiser]] and [[Michael Wilbon]] as "Ken Jeopardy", and his success was noted on the show at milestone points, such as when he reached 50 straight wins and $1 million. Also, on ESPN's [[SportsCenter]], several of his early wins were recorded in the show's daily "Top 10" plays segment.
* He kept a plush "Totoro" toy from the movie ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' in his pocket as a good luck charm.
*During his college speaking tour, he admitted that the strangest fan gift he ever received was Popo, a stuffed pillow.

During his ''Jeopardy!'' appearances, Jennings became known for several quirky behaviors:

* He frequently would give answers in clever ways. Examples include "What are the munchies, man?" when given a clue about midnight food cravings, and "What be [[African American Vernacular English|Ebonics]]?" On his final episode, his response to "A Category about Nothing" in Spanish was, "¿Qué es nada?"
* On Final Jeopardy and the Daily Doubles he almost always wagered an amount that could bring his total to an even multiple of $5,000 (an even multiple of $10,000 if he wanted to risk that much or that little money). Trebek commented on this several times, and he even occasionally guessed what wager Jennings would make.
* Prior to his 30th game, Jennings did not want to beat the $52,000 single-day record of former five-day champion [[Brian Weikle]] just "for the sake of beating it." {{fact|date=July 2008}} Jennings intentionally tied Weikle's record three times. However, in his 38th game, Jennings entered Final Jeopardy with a total only $600 shy of the record (and, in fact, had exceeded the record in the Double Jeopardy! round before missing a question at the end), and beat it with a final total of $75,000. On his 71st game, he surpassed the former record a second time with a win of $55,099.

== See also ==
* [[American game show winnings records]]
* [[Tom Walsh (game show contestant)|Tom Walsh]], the record holder previous to Jennings
* [[David Madden (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]], currently holds the greatest winning streak since Jennings
* Jennings' book, ''Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs''

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.ken-jennings.com Ken Jennings official web site]
* [http://www.jeopardy.com ''Jeopardy!'' web site]
* [http://jenningsbaby.8m.com Ken's Top 2000 Favorite Movies Page]
* {{imdb name|id=1668506|name=Ken Jennings}}
* [http://kenjenningsexpress.blogspot.com/ This Is... Jennings!]
* [http://www.imno.org/articles.asp?qid=233&sid=3 2006 IMNO Interview with Ken Jennings]

===News===
* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,139998,00.html "''Jeopardy!''Whiz Jennings Loses"], ''Fox News''
* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142809,00.html "'Jeopardy!' to hold 'Super Tournament'"], ''Fox News''

{{start box}}
{{succession box | before = [[Brad Rutter]] | title = All-time [[Jeopardy!]] champion | years = 2004-2005 | after = [[Brad Rutter]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Kevin Olmstead]] | title = All-time American game show winnings leader | years = 2004-2005 | after = [[Brad Rutter]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Tom Walsh (game show contestant)|Tom Walsh]] | title = Biggest [[Jeopardy!]] winners by season | years = 2004-2005 <BR>Took place over two seasons</BR>1-37 in 2003-04, 38-74 in 2004-05 | after = [[David Madden (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]]}}
{{succession box | before = Brian Weikle | title = Biggest one-day winners on [[Jeopardy!]] by season | years = 2003-2005 | after = Maria Wenglinsky}}
{{succession box | before = [[Jerome Vered]]<br>$34,000<br>1992<br>''Would be $68,000 after 2001 rule change'' | title = Biggest one-day winners on [[Jeopardy!]] <BR> $75,000 | years = 2004 | after = Incumbent}}
{{end box}}

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->

{{Persondata
|NAME= Jennings, Ken
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Jennings, Kenneth Wayne, III
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[Software engineer]], 74-time ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' champion, Author
|DATE OF BIRTH= 1974-5-23
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Edmonds, WA|Edmonds]], [[Washington]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jennings, Ken}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:American bloggers]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:American Mormon missionaries]]
[[Category:Brigham Young University alumni]]
[[Category:Jeopardy! contestants]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mormon missionaries in Spain]]
[[Category:Quizbowl]]
[[Category:Utah Democrats]]

[[simple:Ken Jennings]]
[[zh:揯·詹寧斯]]

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