I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

A Christmas novelty song written by John Rox and performed by 10-year-old Gayla Peevey in 1953. The song quickly became a hit, reaching number 24 on the Billboard pop chart, and Peevey's performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 15, 1953, further propelled its popularity. Inspired by the song, the Oklahoma City Zoo and a local newspaper launched the "Gayla Peevey hippo fund," where children contributed nickels and dimes to raise $3,000 to purchase a hippopotamus named Mathilda, who arrived on Christmas Eve 1953 and lived at the zoo for almost 50 years.