NORAD Santa Tracker Is High Tech Family Fun

The countdown to Santa's liftoff is on and the Norad Santa Tracker's got everything families need to keep track of his whereabouts and much more. I love the Norad Santa Tracker and my family enjoyed it every year while my kids were little.

The history of the NORAD tracker is very interesting. It started way back in 1955 when a Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement in Colorado Springs misprinted the telephone number for kids to call Santa. Oops! So kids ended up calling the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline" instead, talking to the Director of Operations at that time who was Colonel Harry Shoup (Santa?). Shoup decided to "play along" with the kids and had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. After that, kids who ended up calling that wrong number were given updates on Santa's location on Christmas Eve. You can imagine how much fun it was for Colonel Shoup and his staff to continue doing that and of course, it became an annual tradition. Fast forward a little bit to 1958 when Canada and the U.S. decided to create a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa and families all over have been enjoying this ever since.

Get our free mobile app

So every Christmas, NORAD volunteers respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world but they also show everyone where Santa is in the world on their website, www.noradsanta.org. Plus the website has other fun features with games, music, movies, and more. It's a wealth of information and fun. You and your kids or grandkids will love it!

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

LOOK: Here Are the 25 Best Places to Live in New York State

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New York using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

Source: NORAD Santa Tracker Is High Tech Family Fun

Filed Under: norad, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Santa tracker

Categories: Articles