the new year starts on earth on december 31.
where does the new year start on earth?
december 31
because of the division of the globe into time zones, the new year moves progressively around the globe as the start of the day ushers in the new year. the first time zone to usher in the new year, just west of the international date line, is located in the line islands, a part of the nation of kiribati, and has a time zone 14 hours ahead of utc. all other time zones are 1 to 25 hours behind, most in the previous day (december 31); on american samoa and midway, it is still 11 pm on december 30. these are among the last inhabited places to observe new year. however, uninhabited outlying u.s. territories howland island and baker island are designated as lying within the time zone 12 hours behind utc, the last places on earth to see the arrival of january 1. these small coral islands are found about midway between hawaii and australia, about 1,000 miles west of the line islands. this is because the international date line is a composite of local time zone arrangements, which winds through the pacific ocean, allowing each locale to remain most closely connected in time with the nearest or largest or most convenient political and economic locales with which each associate. by the time howland island sees the new year, it is 2 am on january 2 in the line islands of kiribati.
new year
albert city, iowa





























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start-up: december 2006





























albion, nebraska





























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start-up: october 2007





























aurora, south dakota





























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start-up: december 2003





























bloomingburg, ohio





























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start-up: march 2008





























central city, nebraska





























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start-up: april 2004





























charles city, iowa





























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start-up: april 2007





























dyersville, iowa





























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start-up: september 2008





























fort dodge, iowa





























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start-up: october 2005





























hankinson, north dakota





























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start-up: july 2008





























hartley, iowa





























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start-up: august 2008





























janesville, minnesota





























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projected start-up: q4 2008





























linden, indiana





























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verasun energy