Story of the NORAD’s Santa Tracker

In what has become somewhat of a Christmas fixture, the NORAD Santa Tracker  follows the jolly man himself in his sleigh as he makes his trip around the world so the world can view his progress.

This was not always the case. In fact, it is a result of a very small mistake made by a Colorado Sears, who had advertised that children could call in and speak to Santa Claus. 

 

Unfortunately for the phone operator at Sears, who must have been crestfallen when no children called in to speak to Santa, the number in the catalogue had been misprinted. The number was off by one digit, and now calls began to pour into the Commander in Chiefs telephone at Colorado Springs Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD, which was later replaced by NORAD).

Calls made to this phone were usually of high importance, so you can imagine the surprise when he answered the phone to a child asking about Santa Claus! Making the best of the situation, he told his staff to take the calls and provide the children with information about where Santa was headed on his journey.

Since then, this has become a holiday tradition, and is broadcasted on TV and the Internet, with NORAD employees volunteering their time every year. like this story, they help embody the holiday spirit!

 

Happy Holidays!

Alex B and the OnTheHub Team

Posted in: Movies and Television