NORAD Tracking Santa for Its 68th Year

Every year, as Christmas draws near, there's a special excitement in the air. This excitement comes alive on Christmas Eve, thanks to the NORAD Santa Tracker. For 68 years now, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has taken on a unique mission: tracking Santa Claus as he travels all over the world delivering gifts.

Get our free mobile app

The beginning of the NORAD Santa Tracker happened by accident in 1955. A department store advertisement printed the wrong phone number for children to call Santa. Instead, the calls went to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center.

LOOK: NORAD TO TRACK SANTA FOR ITS 68TH YEAR

Colonel Harry Shoup was the man on duty. He decided to play along and assured the child who called that he was indeed Santa Claus. This one spontaneous act led to a tradition that NORAD continues even to this day.

On Christmas Eve, NORAD uses its state-of-the-art technologies to track Santa's progress across the globe. This is thanks to the volunteers who answer thousands of phone calls and emails from kiddos eager to know Santa's location. The NORAD Tracks Santa program has turned into one of the Department of Defense's largest community outreach initiatives.

The official website, noradsanta.org, attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. In addition to the website, people can follow Santa through various social media platforms and mobile apps. This tradition, born from a simple mistake, has become a beloved part of Christmas for both children and adults.

So if you're curious about where to find Santa on Christmas Eve, just visit the NORAD Santa Tracker. With NORAD's volunteers and technology, you can join in with millions of others and follow Santa's journey worldwide.