Show new year Is born in Chat chatham liam islands the new year will be born january 1 in the lonely chatham islands miles southwest of new zealand and race westward 1000 miles an hour toward the U S in accordance with tradition some shepherds and fishermen will celebrate the arrival of 1941 by proudly ringing the bell of the little church on hanson island as clocks in new york point to 5 a m december 31 the chatham islands have the honor of welcoming the new year at its birth because they ere are the nearest land points to the british admiralty dateline from which the time zones are marked throughout the world the line curves east and west of the meridian of longitude so that it lies always in the ocean |