Alex Trebek appeared on ‘Good Morning America’ in New York City on Feb. 21, 2019. Soon after his appearance, he announced in a video that he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. In his video, he joked that he has no choice but to fight, since he has three more seasons in his ‘Jeopardy!’ contract.

The star was born on July 22, 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, making him 78 years old today. He started hosting the revival for ‘Jeopardy!’ in 1984, and has been a favorite game show host ever since. His current contract is through 2022, but the show wouldn’t feel the same without the white-haired friendly face. ‘So help me keep the faith and we’ll win,’ Alex said in his announcement video. ‘We’ll get it done. Thank you.’ Scroll through to see pics of the famous game show host throughout the years, who has become dear to American households around the country.