She was a children's Christmas song come to life. On Dec. 24, 1953, a 700-pound "baby" lumbered from her moving crate into the awaiting water at Oklahoma City's Lincoln Park Zoo. "I Want a ...

All a cute, curly haired 10-year-old girl named Gayla Peevey wanted for Christmas in 1953 was a hippopotamus. And amazingly enough, after "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" became the biggest hit ...

Over the past few decades, Gayla Peevey has become accustomed to blowing children's minds. On one hand, she's the little girl crooning the hallowed holiday song "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas." ...

It is literally Christmas in July as iconic hippopotamus song will now be a part of the Oklahoma City Zoo forever. The iconic Christmas song, “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas”, was recorded in ...

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- This time of year, radio stations get nostalgic with songs about sleigh rides and silver bells, but there's another Christmas classic that has endured the test of time for more ...

Gayla Peevey, also known as the Queen Of Christmas, is returning to the Oklahoma City Zoo for a sing-along event. News 9's Jordan Ryan spoke with the Oklahoma native on the Coca-Cola Southwest ...

OKLAHOMA CITY — Most children ask for a puppy for Christmas, but Gayla Peevey wanted something larger — a certain temperamental beast that lives in Africa’s Nile River and wouldn’t even fit in her ...

All a cute, curly haired 10-year-old girl named Gayla Peevey wanted for Christmas in 1953 was a hippopotamus. And amazingly enough, after "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" became the biggest hit ...