I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (1953)

Not only was ten-year-old Gayla Peevey unexpectedly vaulted to fame in 1953 after recording "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," but she actually got a hippo for Christmas that year. In a 2007 radio interview, Peevey related how "...a local [Oklahoma City] promoter picked up on the popularity of the song and Peevey's local roots, and launched a campaign to present her with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas. The campaign succeeded, and she was presented with an actual hippopotamus, which she donated to the Oklahoma City zoo. The hippopotamus lived for nearly 50 years." (source)

Here's Gayla, from way back in the day, on the Ed Sullivan Show--