| 1st National Geographic Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 19, 1989 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Jack Staddon |
| Age | 15 |
| Residence | Great Bend, Kansas |
| No. of contestants | 57 |
| Preceded by | Established |
| Followed by | 2nd National Geographic Bee |
The 1st National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 1989, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Jack Staddon of Great Bend Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School in Great Bend, Kansas, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Michael Shannon of Reading, Massachusetts, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Kieu Luu of Riverdale, Maryland, won a $10,000 scholarship.
References
- Melody Kramer. "Alex Trebek: On Hosting the National Geographic Bee". National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013.
- "National Geographic Bee Champions" (PDF). National Geographic. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2016.
- "Kansas Boy Wins 1st Geography Bee". Los Angeles Times.
- "15-Year-Old's World View Wins Him a $25,000 Scholarship". Chicago Tribune.