Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak was born on October 26, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois. During the Vietnam War, he served in the United States Army as a disc jockey for American Forces Vietnam Network radio in Saigon, opening broadcasts with the famous greeting 'Good Morning, Vietnam!'. Returning to the US, he worked as a radio announcer and television weatherman for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, where his quick wit and self-effacing humor caught the attention of television titan Merv Griffin.

In 1981, Griffin hired Sajak to take over as host of the daytime version of 'Wheel of Fortune', and in 1983 launched the nighttime syndicated version alongside co-host Vanna White. Over the next four decades, 'Wheel of Fortune' became one of the highest-rated syndicated game shows in global television history. Sajak's deadpan timing, warmth, and effortless banter with contestants made him a permanent fixture in American living rooms. In May 2019, Guinness World Records officially certified Sajak for the 'longest career as a game show host for the same show'. He won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 38th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2011 before his historic retirement in June 2024.