Washington - The nuclear-powered US Navy attack submarine Topeka straddled the International Dateline beneath the western Pacific Ocean at midnight on New Year's Eve, allowing its crew a unique stroll between the centuries.

The submarine, using sophisticated satellite positioning technology, straddled the dateline dividing Friday and Saturday as the new century dawned in the first of the world's 24 time zones. It was aligned north to south, allowing the 140-man crew to walk back and forth between 1999 and 2000.