NORAD, created during the cold war, and possibly one of the key facilities in upholding it…OK the purpose is to provide an early warning system in case the world came under attack from nuclear missiles, but the facility is also a key part of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI aka. Star Wars aka. President Raygun’s wet dream).
It turns out that NORAD has a sophisticated sense of humor, and that they have had it for a long period of time, even since the peak of the cold war. 2005 marked the 50th anniversary of “Santa Tracking”.
I’d heard of the Santa Tracker before, but this is the first time I’ve checked it out in detail, and it really brought a smile to my face, and a warm feeling of christmas spirit.
Related links:
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/history.php – History of the Santa Tracker
http://www.norad.mil – NORAD