Ken Jennings' 74-game winning streak on Jeopardy!, first set in 2004, remains unbeaten more than two decades on, cementing his status as one of the show's most iconic figures alongside the late Alex Trebek. Jennings, who went on to become a full-time host of the programme following Trebek's death, is remembered as much for the surprising manner of his defeat as for the record itself.

His run ended on 30 November 2004 against contestants Nancy Zerg and David Hankins, when a Final Jeopardy! clue about a firm's seasonal workforce saw Jennings incorrectly answer "What is FedEx?" while Zerg correctly answered "What is H&R Block?" to win by a single dollar, prompting audible gasps from the studio audience. Jennings, who earned $2.5 million during the streak, took the loss graciously, later returning for tournaments including the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, where rival Brad Rutter beat him and went on to accumulate nearly $5 million in total Jeopardy! winnings.