How long has NORAD been tracking Santa?
NORAD has been tracking Santa since December 24, 1955 when a local Colorado Springs newspaper ad ran a Sears Roebuck and Co. advertisement that said “Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure to dial the correct number.” The number was misprinted in the ad. Children who dialed the number actually reached Colonel Harry Shoup, commander on duty in the Air Operations Center. That night, Colonel Shoup received numerous calls and, rather than hanging up, had his operators “find the location of Santa Claus” on their radars and reported the information to every child who called in that night. NORAD has since turned the event into an annual program that is recognized world-wide, thanks to the efforts of partner organizations, volunteer Santa trackers, and technological improvements. 2.) How many children log on to your website to keep an eye on Santa on Christmas Eve? In 2006 we had a record 941 million page views for the NORAD Tracks Santa web site. These viewers were from 210 countries and te
