Jim Lovell in Apollo 8 reports, “Please be informed, there is a Santa Claus” after successful Trans Earth Injection burn, December 25, 1968
Neil Armstrong was given the option to replace Buzz Aldrin with Jim Lovell because NASA was aware that "Aldrin's personality grated on several of the other astronauts". Armstrong kept Aldrin and felt Lovell deserved to command his own moon mission, the ill-fated Apollo 13
