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US military tracks Santa's sleigh ride
Source: Agencies |
December 26, 2009, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A MILITARY installation in the United States has been issuing Christmas reports of Santa Claus' progress to eager children for more than five decades.
Now the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, uses more than a phone bank and large glass screen to track the jolly old man. Google Earth, Twitter and a Website with video now help millions of children keep track of Santa's sleigh.
According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early on Thursday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. He was off the southern tip of South America by Thursday evening, local time. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.
NORAD, based in Colorado, issues reports in five languages. NORAD's main mission is monitoring air and space threats against the US and Canada.
Children who want to follow Santa's route can now contribute a mobile phone number for text message updates from the military.
NORAD had received 40,359 phone calls and hundreds of Facebook comments by Thursday evening on Santa's whereabouts, Army Major Mike Humphreys said.
NORAD's Santa-tracking tradition started in 1955 by accident. The (Colorado Springs) Gazette ran an ad telling children to dial a number if they wanted to talk to Santa.
But the number was one digit off. When the first call came to NORAD's predecessor, a military colonel who answered the phone played along, sounding a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.
Now the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, uses more than a phone bank and large glass screen to track the jolly old man. Google Earth, Twitter and a Website with video now help millions of children keep track of Santa's sleigh.
According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early on Thursday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. He was off the southern tip of South America by Thursday evening, local time. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.
NORAD, based in Colorado, issues reports in five languages. NORAD's main mission is monitoring air and space threats against the US and Canada.
Children who want to follow Santa's route can now contribute a mobile phone number for text message updates from the military.
NORAD had received 40,359 phone calls and hundreds of Facebook comments by Thursday evening on Santa's whereabouts, Army Major Mike Humphreys said.
NORAD's Santa-tracking tradition started in 1955 by accident. The (Colorado Springs) Gazette ran an ad telling children to dial a number if they wanted to talk to Santa.
But the number was one digit off. When the first call came to NORAD's predecessor, a military colonel who answered the phone played along, sounding a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.
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