Once Again, NORAD Tracks Santa

December 21, 2008

Christmas is quickly approaching and the staff at NORAD are preparing to once again monitor the progress of Santa Claus and report his location to millions of excited boys and girls. I can remember as a child, turning on our television and watching as Santa Claus was tracked on Christmas Eve. That information came to us, courtesy of NORAD. This year marks the 50th year that NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has tracked Santa Claus, as he’s made his way around the world on Christmas Eve, delivering Christmas joy to millions of girls and boys. Millions of boys and girls will log online or check in on their televisions to see the progress that Santa Claus is making. Millions of boys and girls will call the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline on Christmas Eve as well as check his progress on the official NORAD Tracks Santa website. The story behind how the annual Santa Tracking came to be is interesting and something that our readers should be interested in.

NORAD Tracks Santa

On Dec. 24, 1955, a call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. However, this call was not from the president or a general. It was from a girl in Colorado Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement printed in the local paper – she wanted to know the whereabouts of Santa Claus.

The ad said “Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number.” However, the number was printed incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD operations center.

On duty that night was Col. Harry Shoup, who has come to be known as the “Santa Colonel.” Col. Shoup received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus and reported it to every child who phoned in that night.

Thus began a tradition carried on by the North American Aerospace Defense Command when it was formed in 1958. Today, through satellite systems, high-powered radars and jet fighters, NORAD tracks Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey around the world.

Every Christmas Eve, several hundred volunteers staff telephone hotlines and computers to answer calls and e-mails from children (and adults) from around the world. Live updates are provided on the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site (in six languages), over telephone lines and by e-mail to keep curious children and their families informed about where Santa really is and if it’s time to get to bed.

In November and December 2006, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site received nearly a billion hits from 210 countries and territories around the world. More than half a million people called the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline, and volunteers received nearly 12,500 e-mails from children around the globe.

NORAD Tracks Santa has become a magical and global phenomenon, delighting generations of families everywhere.¹

If you’re interested in finding out where Santa is at on Christmas Eve, or have questions for the volunteers who assist NORAD in tracking Santa Claus, please visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website. On the website you’ll find lots of helpful information for you or your children, as you anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus.

http://www.norad.mil/about/Santa.html [↩]

Written by Terri · Filed Under Hearts & Minds

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