A child’s call to a military hotline in 1955 led to the creation of NORAD’s Santa Tracker, one of the world’s most enduring Christmas traditions. The call came as the result of a Sears holiday ad that featured the wrong number.
Colonel Harry Shoup, who answered the first call at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), was surprised to hear a young boy asking for Santa Claus. Recognizing the sincerity of the call, Shoup played along and directed his staff to handle subsequent calls as Santa.
In December 1955 a child accidentally called a colonel at an air base in Colorado Springs asking for 'Santa' – all because of a misprint in a newspaper advert.
Colonel Harry Shoup answered the call. His daughter Terri tells the story of how the NORAD Santa Tracker begun 👇… pic.twitter.com/l0lepLS1Kw
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 24, 2024
The mistake in the Sears ad led to a flood of calls. Shoup and his team decided to turn the unexpected situation into a festive moment, even adding a sleigh and reindeer to the radar board tracking aircraft on Christmas Eve. Shoup contacted a local radio station, announcing Santa’s “progress” in the skies.
How NORAD's Santa tracker was ACCIDENTALLY launched by a child's call to a top secret phone linehttps://t.co/Sat5VOQOJ6
— Michael Rivero (@WRH_Mike_Rivero) December 25, 2023
Over the years, the tradition grew. By the 1970s, Santa’s journey was being broadcast on television. Today, families around the world can follow Santa’s progress via a dedicated website, mobile apps, and the NORAD hotline. Updates are available in nine languages to ensure global reach.
With the help of more than 1,250 volunteers each year, the NORAD Santa Tracker has become a cornerstone of Christmas celebrations. Shoup’s family remains involved in the project, preserving the legacy that began with one innocent call.
