Today, NORAD’s system is far more sophisticated, with a website that receives millions of page views. Volunteers for the Santa Tracker phone hotline field more than 100,000 calls from children across the globe in an average year, according to the U.S. military. Thousands had already come through Tuesday, NORAD said.

Air Force General Glen VanHerck, NORAD's commander: "24 hours a day, 365 days a year, NORAD defends North America by tracking airplanes, missiles, space launches and anything else that flies in or around the North American continent. As we have since 1955, this Dec. 24th we are once again ready for our no-fail mission of tracking Santa."