NORAD’s Santa Tracker: How a 1955 Telephone Mixup Started a Christmas Tradition

Last update:December 24, 2024, 5:06 p.m. IST

The Santa Claus website receives approximately 15 million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world, according to NORAD.

As Santa embarks on his enchanted journey to deliver gifts around the world, millions of children eagerly await updates every Christmas Eve. Many people may not know this, but the beloved custom of tracking Santa started accidentally in 1955, when a phone number was misprinted. This small mistake paved the way for the development of the sophisticated NORAD Santa Tracker we know today.

It all started in December 1955 when a Sears Roebuck & Co. ad appeared in a Colorado Springs newspaper. To speak directly with Santa, the ad encouraged children to call “Santa’s private line.” Due to an incorrect phone number, calls were routed to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), a U.S. and Canadian military agency responsible for monitoring airspace, rather than to Santa.

The officer on duty that night, Colonel Harry Shoup, responded to one of the calls. He was shocked to see that it was a young boy asking to speak to Santa Claus. Colonel Shoup assumed the role after realizing the circumstances and responded, “Ho, ho, ho!” Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy? » What would have been confusion was transformed into a magical moment by his quick thinking.

Other children soon began calling, eager to speak with Santa. Colonel Shoup asked to inform each child who called of Santa’s whereabouts rather than turning him away. This was the beginning of the very first “Santa Tracker”.

Although CONAD changed its name to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) the following year, the custom persisted. To monitor Santa’s travels, NORAD officially took on the role in 1958 and used its satellite technology and radar systems. This impromptu act of generosity has become a valued global custom over time.

For decades, children eager to find Santa Claus have relied on NORAD volunteers to make the magic happen. The tradition took a digital leap in December 1997 with the launch of NORAD’s first Santa Tracking web page. This innovation allowed families around the world to follow Santa’s journey in real time using a virtual map.

Modern technology, such as GPS, satellite photography and even social media, is used by NORAD’s Santa Tracker to communicate Santa’s progress. Nearly 15 million people visit the NORAD website each year from more than 200 countries and territories, and more than 130,000 calls are always answered by volunteers on the Santa Helpline, the agency reports .

Santa’s journey is said to have begun in the Pacific Ocean, on the International Date Line. Forbes says it travels west, first to the South Pacific, then to Asia, Africa, Europe, New Zealand and Australia, then across the Atlantic to North and South America. As part of its serious mission, NORAD even sends fighter jets, such as F-15s, F-16s and F-22s, to accompany Santa’s sleigh into North American airspace.