Pat Sajak

Game Show Host • Personality

Birth Name: Patrick Leonard Sajdak

Birth Date: October 26, 1946

Age: 77 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Pat Sajak, the widely recognized and beloved host of the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune," began his career in entertainment when he won a contest as a teenager to be a guest teen deejay on a radio show in 1965. Sajak then became a newscaster for a small local radio station while he was attending Columbia College in Chicago. He joined the army in 1968 after dropping out of college and was stationed in Vietnam, where he was a morning show host for Armed Forces Radio. Upon returning to the United States, Sajak began working as a desk clerk at a hotel in Washington, but left to join a small radio station in Murray, Ky.

Unhappy with this position, he left after a year for Nashville, Tennessee, where he began working for WSM-TV in a variety of roles. In 1977, after gaining the attention of a talent scout, Sajak joined KNBC-TV in Los Angeles as a weather forecaster and the host of a weekend talk show. Producer Merv Griffin took notice of Sajak's charisma, and in 1981, asked him to host "Wheel of Fortune," then a daytime television game show that moved to its regular nighttime slot in 1983. Not content to rest on his laurels, Sajak has also made many guest appearances on other shows, including "Days of Our Lives" and "The Larry Sanders Show."

Pat Sajak

Game Show Host • Personality

Birth Name: Patrick Leonard Sajdak

Birth Date: October 26, 1946

Age: 77 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Children: Maggie Sajak

Awards

Credits

Muppets Haunted MansionStream

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune from ABC

Celebrity Wheel of FortuneStream

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Extras

American Valor: We Stand Together

Uncommon Knowledge

Macy's 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade Special

Fresh Off the BoatStream

The American Veterans Center Honors

Sullivan & SonStream

The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

The Bonnie Hunt Show

Live With Regis and Kelly

The King of QueensStream

The CommishStream

RugratsStream

The Pat Sajak Show

Super PasswordStream

Gimme a Break!

Entertainment Tonight

Password PlusStream

Good Morning America

Wheel of Fortune

Photos

News aboutPat Sajak

‘Jeopardy!’ & ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Hit With Discrimination Claims by 2 Longtime Employees

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Hits 3-year Ratings High With Ryan Seacrest & Overtakes ‘Jeopardy!’

Pat Sajak’s Final ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Season Gets Sudden, Unexpected Delay to 2025

‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak’s Final Season Contestants Revealed

‘Wheel of Fortune’s ‘Right in the Butt’ Contestant Returns to Show & Defends That Answer (VIDEO)

Every Single $1 Million Dollar Puzzle on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ (PHOTOS)

Maggie Sajak Shares Her Thoughts on Ryan Seacrest as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host

Pat Sajak Wins First Emmy in 26 Years for Final Season as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host & More 2024 Creative Arts Emmys Winners

What Pat Sajak Told Ryan Seacrest About ‘Wheel of Fortune’ During Final Days on Set

‘Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White Was Worried About Chemistry With Ryan Seacrest

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Gives New Meaning to ‘RSTLNE’ Ahead of Ryan Seacrest’s First Show

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Are These the Craziest, Longest Puzzles Ever?

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Shares First Episode Teaser Video

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White & Ryan Seacrest Film First Show – Fans React

‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’: Will Ryan Seacrest Take Over After Pat Sajak’s Final Spin?

‘Wheel of Fortune’: 12 Worst Guesses Ever

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at First Day (VIDEO)

Pat Sajak’s Final ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Sets Premiere Date

Pat Sajak’s Real Height Revealed & Why He Always Looked So Short on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Is Vanna White Set to Quit Show Over Ryan Seacrest?

Pat Sajak’s Final Episode Is Most-Watched in Over 1,000 Episodes

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Did You Know the Story Behind the Dalmatian Mascot?

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Gets Ryan Seacrest Ready to Host This Fall in New Promo (VIDEO)

‘Wheel of Fortune’ by the Numbers: Biggest Winner, Average Viewers & More

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Salutes Outgoing Host Pat Sajak’s ‘Incredible Run’

Love Pat Sajak? Don’t Forget These 17 Other Game Show Hosts (PHOTOS)

‘Wheel of Fortune’: How Ryan Seacrest Is Stepping Up His Hosting Game

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Fans React to Pat Sajak’s Final Episode

Is Pat Sajak the Greatest Game Show Host of All Time? (POLL)

Why We Love ‘Wheel of Fortune’s Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak Bids Farewell to ‘Wheel of Fortune’ With Heartfelt Message (VIDEO)

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Vanna White Tears Up in Emotional Goodbye to Pat Sajak (VIDEO)

What’s Pat Sajak Doing Next After Leaving ‘Wheel of Fortune’?

A Timeline of ‘Wheel of Fortune’s Nearly 50-Year History

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Shuts Down Contestant’s Hilarious Wrong Answer

The Man Behind ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Revisiting Pat Sajak’s History on the Game Show

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Call Out ‘Bozo’ Contestants After Multiple Puzzle Fails

9 Pat Sajak TV & Film Roles That Aren’t ‘Wheel of Fortune’

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Excited for Ryan Seacrest to Replace Pat Sajak

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Kicks Off Pat Sajak’s Final Week as Host — Fans React

Pat Sajak Is ‘Surprisingly OK’ Ahead of Final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Show

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak & Vanna White’s Travels Through the Years (PHOTOS)

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Hits Back at Fans Who Said She Didn’t Answer Puzzle Correctly

Exclusive

‘Wheel of Fortune’: 5 Things to Know About Maggie Sajak