In this clip from a "Wheel of Fortune" taping at the 1983 Ohio State Fair, Pat Sajak and Vanna White chose members from the audience to participate in the show. This episode was used to promote the new nighttime version of "Wheel of Fortune." ---- After 41 years and over 8,000 episodes, Pat Sajak made his final turn as the renowned host of “Wheel of Fortune” on Friday, June 7. The season 41 finale, dubbed the “Thanks for the memories” show, opened on Friday with a clip from Sajak’s first episode as the host of “Wheel of Fortune” in 1981 and closed with Sajak’s warm message of gratitude. In his farewell message, Sajak thanked the viewers of the beloved game show for granting him the “incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes, night after night, year after year, decade after decade.” Sajak, 77, also gave a heartfelt thanks to his “professional other half,” Vanna White, who has co-hosted with him for over 40 years and delivered her emotional tribute to Sajak a day earlier. “We’ve seen a lot of changes in each other’s lives over the years, but we’ve always been there for each other,” he said. “I will miss our nightly closes and her laughter and her good nature. She’s a very special woman.” Sajak's run as host began in 1981, and he will go out on top as the longest-running host of a single game show in modern TV history. #patsajak #wheeloffortune #vannawhite #ohiostatefair