ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

International Date Line

Well kiddo, the international date line is an imaginary line that goes all the way around the Earth. It's kind of like when you draw a line down the middle of your piece of paper.

On one side of the line, it's a different date than the other side. For example, if you're celebrating your birthday in New York and you cross the international date line heading east, you might end up in Japan where it's actually already the next day. So when you look at the calendar in Japan, it will say your birthday was yesterday, even though it's still your birthday where you started in New York.

That's because the international date line helps us keep track of time and dates. It marks where each day begins and ends. So when people cross the line, they might have to adjust their clocks and calendars to match the new date.

But don't worry, even though the international date line might seem confusing, it just helps us all stay on the same page when it comes to time and dates around the world.