JeoparDAY! (Jeopardy! Day) Date in the current year: March 30, 2026

Jeopardy! is a quiz game show with the reversed question-and-answer format, in which contestants are given trivia clues presented as answers and must identify the person, place, thing, or idea being described, stating their response in the form of a question, instead of being asked direct questions. If a response is factually correct but not presented as a grammatically coherent question, it may be ruled incorrect.

Jeopardy! was created by Merv Griffin, who began his entertainment career as a singer and actor before transitioning to hosting game and talk shows in 1958 with Play Your Hunch. At the time, quiz shows had a bad reputation because it had been revealed that CBS and NBC had prearranged the outcomes of their shows.

While Griffin was brainstorming new game show ideas, his wife, Julann, suggested switching the usual format of quiz shows by giving contestants the answer and having them come up with the question. Griffin presented the idea to NBC executives, who loved it so much that they bought the show without ordering a pilot.

The original show premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964, with Art Fleming as the host. It was an immediate hit, becoming the first successful quiz show since the scandal. The original daytime Jeopardy! aired until January 3, 1975. A nighttime syndicated edition aired weekly from September 1974 to September 1975. A revival, The All-New Jeopardy!, ran on NBC weekdays from October 1978 to March 1979.

The current syndicated version of Jeopardy! has aired since September 1984. Alex Trebek hosted the show for 37 seasons until his death in November 2020. After Trebek’s death, various guest hosts took the reins until August 2021, when Mayim Bialik and former contestant Ken Jennings became the new hosts on a rotating basis. Since December 2023, Jennings has been the sole host.

The first step to participating in Jeopardy! is to take the Jeopardy! Anytime Test, which consists of 50 questions. Previously, the test was offered once a year. Since 2020, it has been available year-round, but prospective contestants can only take it once every 12 months, at any time. For example, if someone took the test on April 4, they would not be able to take it again until April 4 of the following year.

Randomly selected applicants who have passed the test are invited to an audition. The first round of auditions includes a second online test. The second round includes a mock game and short interviews with contestants. Currently, both rounds are held via video conference rather than in person. Those who perform well at the audition may be invited to appear on the show as contestants within 24 months of their audition date.

The tradition of celebrating Jeopardy!’s birthday as JeoparDAY! began in 2022. On March 30 of every year, any U.S. or Canadian resident over the age of 18 can take the Jeopardy! Anytime Test for fun, regardless of when they last took it; this will not affect their eligibility cycle.