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Norad Tracks Santa 2008 – With Google’s Help

November 30, 2008

[UPDATE: It’s Christmas Eve! The santa tracker is now live!]
Santa Tracker for Christmas in 3D in Google EarthLike last year, the Norad Tracks Santa site will open its web site on December 1st allowing kids everywhere to watch the countdown to Christmas Eve. The web site will feature fun holiday games and activities daily until December 24th. And, like last year, the official application to watch Santa fly around the world on Christmas Eve will be Google Earth.
The NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) program began on Dec. 24, 1955, after an errant phone call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local youngster who dialed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement. The commander who answered the phone that night gave the youngster the information requested – the whereabouts of Santa Claus. This began the tradition of tracking Santa Claus, a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958. This Christmas marks the 50th anniversary of NORAD tracking Santa Claus as he goes around the world delivering presents.
In 2006 Google created a 3D game in Google Earth where you had to find Christmas presents somewhere on the Earth for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. They had Santa’s North Pole home and his sleigh rendered in 3D, and then the Santa tracker was linked to the Norad data. Google also used Google Earth to track Santa in 2005. Last year (2007) was the first year Google’s mapping applications were the official ones used by Norad for following Santa on the Internet.
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About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

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Filed Under: Applications, Google Earth News, Navigation, Sightseeing Tagged With: santa tracker

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PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. CMormann says

    December 24, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    I am trying to trak Santa Claus for the kids in Country Kids Day Care. Could You pleas help?
    WE live in LaCrescent,Mn at XXX XXX Hill Rd.
    thank you.

  2. Sallie says

    January 7, 2009 at 9:28 am

    I used you in my blog for Norad Santa. If you want commint on it. That would be really cool.

  3. sophie boothman says

    April 4, 2009 at 7:34 am

    hello santa hope you are doing well i just want to say that last december there thanks for the presents

  4. Adam says

    December 23, 2009 at 10:14 am

    im really extatic for chrismas,are you.2 days til.

  5. mike says

    September 25, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    TRY http://www.kriskringle.com
    THEY HAVE A TRACKING CENTER….



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

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