Pat Sajak
Birth name Patrick Leonard Sajdak[1] Born October 26, 1946 (1946-10-26) (age 60) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Statistics Occupation TV presenter, Game show presenter Gender Male Marital status married Spouse Lesly Sajak Children Patrick Sajak, Maggie Sajak Notable credit(s) Wheel of Fortune (NBC, Syndicated) Official website http://www.patsajak.com/

Pat Sajak (born Patrick Leonard Sajdak on October 26, 1946), is an Emmy Award-winning television personality and one-time talk show host, best known as the host of the popular and long-running American television game show, Wheel of Fortune. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (772x1444, 412 KB) 060208-N-3153C-088 Culver City, Calif. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... A television presenter is a British term for a celebrity who is best known for introducing or appearing in television programmes. ... “Quiz show” redirects here. ... The shield and spear of the Roman god Mars, which is also the alchemical symbol for iron, represents the male sex. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... This article is about the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show, which began in 1983. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An Emmy Award. ... A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized in a society. ... A talk show (U.S.) or chat show (Brit. ... “Quiz show” redirects here. ... This article is about the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show, which began in 1983. ...

Biography

Early life

Sajak, son of a Polish American trucking foreman, was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Joyce, remarried to Walter Backal. During his elementary years, he attended Goethe Elementary School, as well as Gary Elementary School. In 4th grade, he won the school spelling bee by spelling the word "photosynthesis". He graduated Farragut High School in 1964 and then went on to Columbia College Chicago. Polish-American refers to American citizens of Polish descent. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Farragut Career Academy, part of the Chicago Public School system, serves the Little Village and North Lawndale communities on west side of Chicago, Illinois. ... Columbia College Chicago is the largest arts communications college in the United States. ...

Career

Sajak won a contest on WLS radio's Dick Biondi Show to be a guest "teen deejay". While at Columbia College Chicago, his broadcasting instructor Al Parker told him that a local radio station (WEDC) was looking for a newsman. Pat applied for the job and was hired to work from midnight to 6:00 AM. In 1968, Sajak joined the U.S. Army, and was sent to Vietnam, where he deejayed on Armed Forces Radio. 1975 found Pat DJ'ing at 50,000-watt WSM in Nashville; at the time WSM was playing pop music during the day (country at night), and Pat was the 3:00–5:00pm afternoon personality. Later, in 1977, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles was looking for a weatherman, and spotted Sajak working for NBC affiliate WSM-TV in Nashville. Sajak accepted KNBC's request for him to be a full-time weatherman for the station. He also had a small role as a Buffalo, New York newscaster in the 1982 spoof film Airplane II: The Sequel. WLS is a pioneer Chicago radio station. ... Dick Biondi (born 1933, Endicott, New York, USA) is a Radio Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Top 40 and Oldies disc jockey. ... Toasting, chatting, or DJing is the act of talking or chanting over a rhythm or beat. ... WEDC was a shared time radio station operating at 1240 on the am dial in Chicago. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... American Forces Network (or AFN) is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide. ... WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. ... KNBC (Channel 4) is the West Coast flagship station of the NBC television network, serving the Greater Los Angeles Area. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... WSMV-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the Nashville, Tennessee area. ... Nickname: Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee Coordinates: , Country United States State Tennessee Counties Davidson County Founded: 1779 Incorporated: 1806 Government  - Mayor Bill Purcell (D) Area  - City  526. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - City 52. ... // This is the year of film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which will become the highest grossing movie for almost 15 years (until Titanic), earning double or triple against any major film of the 1980s. ...

In 1981, Merv Griffin, the designer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, asked Pat if he would be interested in taking over the duties as host of Wheel of Fortune from Chuck Woolery. Pat, who already had hosted a few game show pilots, accepted the position. From 1983 to 1989, Sajak hosted both the daytime (NBC) and nighttime (syndicated) versions of Wheel of Fortune. He still hosts the syndicated nighttime version of the show. When his late-night talk show on CBS premiered in January 1989, he left the daytime version of "Wheel," and was replaced by former San Diego Chargers place-kicker Rolf Benirschke. Mervyn Edward Merv Griffin, Jr. ... Jeopardy! is an international television quiz game show. ... Charles Herbert Chuck Woolery (born on March 16, 1941) is a popular game show host, best known for hosting the dating game show Love Connection, from its debut in 1983 to the conclusion of its first version in 1994. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... // About Rolf Born in 1955, Rolf Benirschke was a kicker in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1987 who played from 1980 to 1986. ...

Since 1995, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have been produced at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. The Sony Pictures Studios are located on 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California. ... Culver City sign near the intersection of the 405 and the 90. ...

In 1997, as part of an April Fool's joke, Sajak and Alex Trebek switched jobs. Sajak hosted Jeopardy! and became a contestant along with the hostess Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune, which Trebek hosted. Both Sajak and White played for charity, he for the Boy Scouts of America and she for the American Cancer Society. Sajak's wife Lesly took Vanna's place on the letter board. On an episode which aired in 2000, Sajak's children Patrick and Maggie delivered the show's closing comments in place of their father and White. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alex Trebek, with his once-iconic mustache, hosting a 1986 episode of Jeopardy! George Alexander Trebek (born as Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek [1] on July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host whos best known as the host of the game... Vanna White (born Vanna Marie Rosich on February 18, 1957 is a American television personality, best known as the hostess and puzzle board operator on the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. ... For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ... The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a medical organization with a corporate attitude in the United States. ...

Sajak hosted a late-night talk show on CBS from January 9, 1989 - April 13, 1990 that failed to make ratings headway against Johnny Carson. He has since been a frequent guest host for CNN's Larry King Live when King himself was unable to attend. Sajak is also a regular substitute host for Regis Philbin on the syndicated Live With Regis and Kelly. Sajak also hosted a program, Pat Sajak Weekend, on the Fox News Channel in 2003. Sajak also currently hosts The Pat Sajak Baseball Hour, a syndicated radio sports talk show. The Pat Sajak Show was an American late-night television talk show which aired on CBS from January 9, 1989 to April 13, 1990. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by broadcaster and writer Larry King. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality best known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, singer and presenter at various events. ... Live with Regis and Kelly is a syndicated American television talk show, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. ... “Fox News” redirects here. ...

Sajak also is an External Director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing and is on the Board of Trustees at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan. He also has written for Human Events and served on the Board of Directors for the Claremont Institute. Pat was a major donor to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and often posts political commentary on his official website.^[2] Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Hillsdale College is an independent, co-educational, nonsectarian, liberal arts college located on the north side of the city of Hillsdale in central-southern Michigan, United States. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Human Events is a weekly conservative magazine founded in 1944. ... The Claremont Institute is a conservative think tank based in Claremont, California. ... The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the presidential library of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. ...

Sajak once commented on Wheel of Fortune that his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has the wrong emblem. His emblem is a movie camera when it should be a TV set. He quipped on the show that "someone should pry it off and sell it on eBay - it's a collectible!". Buskers perform on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ...

Personal life

Pat is married to his second wife Lesly Brown, and has a son named Patrick and a daughter named Maggie. The couple lives in Severna Park, Maryland. Severna Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. ...

One of Sajak's philanthropies is an expansion of the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland; it is named the Sajak Pavilion in honor of his donations. He is also part-owner of Annapolis radio station WNAV 1430, which broadcasts Naval Academy events and other local items of interest, and Westminster, Maryland radio station WTTR, which plays Oldies. He has also donated $100,000 to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. “Annapolis” redirects here. ... WNAV is an AM radio station located in Annapolis, Maryland. ... Teamwork: Fourth Class Midshipmen lock arms and use ropes made from uniform items as they brace themselves climbing the Herndon Monument The United States Naval Academy, or USNA, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy. ... Location in Maryland. ... Oldies is a generic term commonly used to describe a radio format that usually concentrates on Top 40 music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. ... This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ...

References in popular culture

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into other sections and removing inappropriate items. (June 2007)

Pat Sajak has been referenced and parodied in many TV shows, movies, and animated television series. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ...

• In one episode of Rugrats, in which Chaz, Chuckie Finster's father, won $10 million, Sajak (who voiced his character as well) was outside his house holding up a check for that amount of money. Chaz asked, "Where's Vanna?" after he explained who he was.

• In episode 2 of The Weird Al Show, Al suggested making lima bean cookies in various shapes, one of which is Pat Sajak's head.

• In the Kevin Smith film Mallrats, Jason Lee's character calls the host of a local dating show "Pat Sajak".

• Sajak was the idol of "Ed Grimley, Jr.," an eccentric character played by Martin Short on SCTV and Saturday Night Live. Short's character famously had a large framed black-and-white photo of Sajak hanging in his apartment.

• At the beginning of the Family Guy episode, I Take Thee Quagmire, Peter Griffin was on Wheel of Fortune and when Pat congratulated Peter for making it to the finals, Peter said, "Thanks, Regis," mistaking Pat for Regis Philbin.

• On an episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Pat Sajak was referenced as a part of the feature "Conan's Celebrity Survey." In this segment, O'Brien pretended that he had sent out surveys for celebrities to fill in, and that a part of this was to fill in the blanks of some phrases. It was said that John Edwards completed the phrase "Most people don't know that I'm actually..." with the name "Pat Sajak", toying with Pat Sajak's physical similarities with John Edwards.

• Some people have noticed Pat Sajak resembles former Vice President Dan Quayle. Sajak joked about this in song on his short-lived talk show.

• A Muppet by the name of Pat Playjacks was created on the children's show Sesame Street. The Muppet, which looks very much like Pat Sajak, is a television game show host.

• Tom Hanks played Pat Sajak in a skit on Saturday Night Live on May 6, 2006. In it, Sajak quits the show after the contestants exhibit immense stupidity.

• Pat Sajak is mentioned in a lyric of "The Kill," a currently unreleased song by The Dresden Dolls.^[3]

• Pat Sajak is referenced by Ice Cube in the song "Last Wordz" off of 2Pac's album Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z." The line is: "Fuck Pat Sajak, never did nothing for a nigga."^[4]

• In Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, Pat Sajak stars in The Frank Gorshin Story on the Eight o'Clock Movie.

• Pat Sajak is referenced by rapper Lil Wayne in the remix of the Shop Boyz song "Party Like a Rockstar". The line is: "I have foursomes, I don't have to force 'em. They just do what I say-jak like Wheel of Fortune."

• Pat Sajak is also referenced by rapper Kanye West in the remix of the Usher song "Confessions Part II". The line is "And I know when she broke the news you told her man don't say that, matter fact like Pat don't say-jak."

• Pat is mentioned by Gorilla Zoe in the rap song "Coffee Shop." The line is "Pat Sajak, we bring anything back!"

• Pat Sajak was the subject of a number one entry in the Top Ten List "Top Ten Things Dave's Mom Has Learned" on the Late Show with David Letterman: "If you want a good table in a restaurant, tell them you're Pat Sajak's mom."^[5]

A rugrat may also be a pejorative term for a toddler. ... Information Nickname(s) Chuckie Species Human Gender Male Age 2 (11 in All Grown Up!) Date of birth 1989 Occupation Java Lava Clerk Family Kimi Finster (New Sister) Chaz Finister (Father) Kira Finister (New Mother) Relatives Melinda Finster (Mother) (deceased) Portrayed by Christine Cavanaugh (Episodes 1-145, movies one and... Vanna White (born Vanna Marie Rosich on February 18, 1957 is a American television personality, best known as the hostess and puzzle board operator on the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. ... The Weird Al Show was a short-lived television show starring Weird Al Yankovic. ... Binomial name Phaseolus lunatus L. The lima bean or butter bean, (Phaseolus lunatus, Fabaceae) is grown as a vegetable for its mature and immature beans. ... For other persons named Kevin Smith, see Kevin Smith (disambiguation). ... Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. ... Jason Lee may refer to: Jason Lee (missionary) (1803–1845), American missionary and pioneer in the Oregon Territory Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian-American film actor Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American actor in TV series My Name is Earl, Church of Scientology member, and former professional skateboarder Jason... SCTV DVD cover, showing Ed Grimley (second from right-top) Edward Mayhoff Ed Grimley was a character introduced on the television series SCTV and later used in Saturday Night Live. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... SCTV can refer to a number of things, including the following: SCTV (Indonesia) from Surya Citra Television, headquartered in Indonesia. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... “I Take Thee Quagmire” is an episode from the fourth season of FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Peter Löwenbräu Griffin is the protagonist in the American animated television series Family Guy. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality best known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, singer and presenter at various events. ... Late Night with Conan OBrien is an American late night talk show that is syndicated worldwide. ... Johnny Reid John Edwards[1] (born June 10, 1953), is an American politician who was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004 and a one-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina. ... James Danforth Dan Quayle (born February 4, 1947) was the forty-fourth Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush (1989–1993). ... John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American two-time Academy Award-winning film actor, Emmy-winning director, voice-over artist and movie producer. ... This article is about the American television series. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. ... OShea Jackson (born June 15, 1969) better known by his stage name, Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... Years after his death, Tupac Shakur is still considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. ... Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. ... For other uses, see Vineland (disambiguation). ... Lil Wayne (also known as Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter on September 27, 1966 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a American, Grammy-nominated rapper and is known as the president of New Orleans, Louisiana-based label Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment. ... The Shop Boyz are an Atlanta-based rap-metal group. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kÉ‘n. ... Usher may refer to: Look up usher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Coffee Shop is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. ... In general terms, a Top Ten List is an ordered ranking of ten items in order of preference. ... Åœ “Late Show” redirects here. ... Charles Herbert Chuck Woolery (born on March 16, 1941) is a popular game show host, best known for hosting the dating game show Love Connection, from its debut in 1983 to the conclusion of its first version in 1994. ... This article is about the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show, which began in 1983. ... // About Rolf Born in 1955, Rolf Benirschke was a kicker in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1987 who played from 1980 to 1986. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York- based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York- based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born Jabba the Hut) is an Emmy Award-winning lesbian lawyer, law professor, actor, comedian, game show host and former White House speechwriter. ... James Christian Jimmy Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American comedian, writer, talk show host, game show host, and producer. ...

References

is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Pat Sajak at the Internet Movie Database
• Pat Sajak's website
• Pat Sajak's Games website