NORAD’s Santa Tracker started with a typo 60 years ago

Created by a 1958 agreement between Canada and the United States, the North American Aerospace Defense Command [NORAD] is responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of both countries.

The commander on duty that day had staff provide callers with updates on Santa s location and the tradition evolved into the NORAD Santa-tracking website. What began as an advertising misprint is now a sophisticated multi-media tracking system that delivers Santa Claus’ whereabouts with split-second precision to children around the world.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command usually focuses on US airspace threats, but switches gears each year to help children track Santa’s journey.

“We call this a no-fail mission”, he said.

NORAD’s not the only one in on the Santa-tracking business…

“Typically, you’ll have a parent that is corralling their kids around the speaker phone and the children are asking, ‘Is Santa coming?'” he said.

His children remember Shoup as straight-laced and disciplined, and he was annoyed and upset by the call and thought it was a joke – but then, Terri [Van Keuren] says, the little voice started crying. Radars, satellites, and the help of one very familiar reindeer!

Santa (and Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen) took off from the North Pole sometime around 5 a.m. EST.

Obama reminded the kids that Santa couldn’t deliver their gifts until they were fast asleep.

Last year, NORAD took more than 134,000 calls over 23 hours.

Well, according to CNNMoney, a Sears in Colorado Springs ran a “dial Santa” ad 60 years ago, but accidentally printed the number for the Continental Air Defense Command center-now known as NORAD-instead of the hotline.

The sites include games, movies and music.

A colonel named Harry Shoup answered the line in 1955. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. Follow Santa, Rudolph, and the rest of the reindeer on the official Santa Tracker website, noradsanta.org, and make sure you’re staying extra nice so he’ll make a stop by your house too!