Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the Declaration of Independence, whose 250th anniversary America250 marks.
The signers represented the thirteen colonies in the Second Continental Congress. Their names appear on the engrossed parchment document, which was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, although some delegates added their signatures later. The number 56 refers to people, not colonies or signatures made on one single day.
John Hancock, president of Congress, is especially famous for his large signature. The signers also included future presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, as well as Benjamin Franklin. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last surviving signer and died in 1832.
The popular image of every delegate signing immediately on July 4 is misleading. Congress adopted the declaration on July 4, but the physical signing process took place mainly afterward. That distinction explains why sources discuss both July 4 and August 2 without contradiction.