Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the Declaration of Independence, a document central to America's 250th anniversary.
The signers were delegates to the Second Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies. John Hancock, president of Congress, is the most visually famous signer because of his unusually large signature. The group also included future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
The date of signing is often simplified in popular retellings. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776, but most historians conclude that the main signing ceremony took place on August 2. Some delegates signed later because they were absent, newly elected, or had not yet taken their seats.
The 56 signers did not all agree on every political question, and nine delegates who took part in congressional activity did not sign the engrossed document. The number 56 refers to the people whose names appear on the final signed Declaration.