A wrong telephone number published in a Colorado newspaper ad in 1955 is still paying dividends to millions of children worldwide eagerly awaiting the Christmas arrival of Santa Claus.
The number in a Colorado Springs paper prompted a child to place a call to Santa. But instead, the number was to the unlisted red phone at North American Aerospace Defense Command, which embraced the mistake and for the next 60 years has “tracked” Santa just like it would a Russian missile attack.
Now the command based at Peterson Air Force Base tells Secrets that the effort reaches millions of families via its online Santa Tracker and “Santa Cams.” And phone calls are still accepted.
A representative dished the details of the audience of last year’s historic viewing, provided in eight languages.
It had 22 million visits to its website, www.noradsanta.org. And 1,500 volunteers answered 2,841 emails and took 140,833 calls. But the big audience was on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and YouTube, where millions followed Santa’s ride around the globe.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
