It is the 180th meridian of longitude, marking the point
where one civil day ends and another begins. It runs north and south across the
middle of the Pacific Ocean. In some places it veers a little to avoid lopping off
parts of geographical locations such as Siberia.
Which way do
you have to go to gain a day?
If you go west to east-for example, from Japan to California-you
gain a day: Tuesday becomes Monday. Go the other way and Monday becomes Tuesday.
(The Book of Answers, by Barbara Berliner)