NORAD tracks Santa for 60th year

Shortly before 11 a.m. ET, Santa was headed for Singapore and had delivered more than 1.4 billion presents.

NORAD, an organization charged with the air defense of the United States and Canada, got into the Santa-tracking business by accident.

60 years ago, a local Sears (SHLD) store in Colorado Springs ran a dial Santa ad. Except the number was a misprint.

“Google’s Santa Tracker launches today – And it’s time to follow the jolly man’s sleigh”, the California-based Internet firm said in a blog post “Tis the season for Santa Tracker” playfully penned in rhyme.

The tradition started in 1955 when Colonel Harry Shoup, who was controlling the crisis phone at Air Operations Center at Continental Air Defense Command, received a phone call from a child expecting to reach Santa Claus. It tracks Santa as he leaves the North Pole, and you can watch him make progress on all his gift-giving goals.

Microsoft once again partnered with the North American Aerospace Defense Command on an interactive website at noradsanta.org where Santa’s reindeer-drawn sleigh can be seen making its way over countries around the world.

Volunteers at NORAD will be answering calls from an estimated 125,000 children eager to know Santa’s whereabouts.

This began the tradition of tracking Santa, a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958.

Now in this age of apps, keeping an eye on Santa is a one-touch effort from your smart phone.

As much of the world has gone mobile, so has NORAD Track Santa.

NORAD identification technicians who monitor computer screens 24 hours a day for possible air incursions also spend Christmas Eve serving as official Santa “trackers”.