Where the day begins in the USA
Wake Island is the first part of the United States to start each new day, and bring in the New Year! 2012 had come and already began for this small slice of 'America' while much of the nation was not yet...awake.
American Wakers celebrate the New Year at the same time as their southern Kiwi cousins down under in New Zealand. Wake Island is due north of Resolution Island, New Zealand. But by latitude Wake Island's climate is on par with Northern Vietnam or Veracruz, Mexico.
The flag of Wake Island takes after Texas or rather North Carolina. Unlike these two 'Southern Brothers' Wake Island is parted like a sideways 'Y' rather than sideways 'T.' The red, white and blue pattern mirror's that of Texas. However the blue hoist portion is more like North Carolina since it has yellow stars and scribbles like North Carolina's yella' ribbons and yeller' state initials.
Wake Island is a 99er so to speak since it was annexed in 1899. During WWII the Japanese attacked it the same day as Pearl Harbor and captured it three weeks later. The island was retaken by American forces on September 4, 1945.
Coincidentally the name of the island reflects its point as America's Land of the Rising Sun - since America awakens to each new day or new year at Wake Island.
Happy New Year 2012!
PS. JK.
This is why we say "WAKE UP" instead of "MAINE UP"
This is only partially correct. Wake Island is usually uninhabited so there wouldn't be any 'American Wakers'. The first inhabited place to see a new day would be Guam.
ReplyDeletehttp://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/first_sunrise.php
YO SCOTTIE J!
DeleteCBS NEWS DISAGREES WITH YOU, JACK! Maddish gots some media backing now, bro! Just stick to you games dude.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wake-island-where-americas-day-really-begins/