The NORAD Santa Tracker started in 1955 because of a mistaken phone number in a Sears Christmas ad that sent kids’ calls to a U.S. military command center instead of to Santa.

The origin story

In 1955, a Sears department store ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper invited children to “call Santa,” but the printed phone number was wrong.

Instead of reaching Santa, kids dialed the operations line of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), the predecessor to NORAD , which was monitoring for potential air threats during the Cold War.

Colonel Harry Shoup’s role

One child got through to the CONAD operations center and asked if the person on the line was Santa, reaching duty commander Air Force Col. Harry Shoup.

Shoup decided to play along, reassured the child that Santa was on his way, and then told staff they could give updates on Santa’s location using their radar screens as a playful backdrop, turning a potential security mix‑up into a tradition.

From CONAD to NORAD

When NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) was formed in 1958, it inherited the Santa‑tracking custom from CONAD and kept it as a community outreach program.

Each Christmas Eve, NORAD has since “tracked” Santa around the world, presenting it as a fun public service alongside its serious mission of monitoring North American airspace.

How it evolved over time

What began as a few phone calls in the 1950s grew into a full holiday operation with volunteers answering phones and, later, emails and web chats.

Today, NORAD uses a dedicated website (noradsanta.org), social media, and a live map simulation that shows Santa’s route, mixing radar and satellite “storytelling” with games, music, and multilingual support.

Why it’s still a big deal

The NORAD Santa Tracker has become a global Christmas Eve ritual, with millions of families checking in to see “where Santa is right now.”

It also humanizes a military organization by associating it with a lighthearted, family‑friendly tradition , which is why it continues to be promoted and updated 70 years after that original misprinted ad.

TL;DR: A typo in a 1955 Sears ad sent kids’ calls to a Cold War command center instead of Santa, and a quick‑thinking officer turned the mistake into NORAD’s now‑famous Santa Tracker.

Meta description: Learn how the NORAD Santa Tracker began in 1955 with a misprinted Sears phone number, a surprise call to a military hotline, and Colonel Harry Shoup’s decision to turn an error into a holiday tradition.