Benjamin Franklin was 70 years old when he signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
Franklin, a Pennsylvania delegate, was the oldest of the 56 signers. He had already established an international reputation as a printer, scientist, inventor, writer, and diplomat before joining the revolutionary cause.
Franklin served on the Committee of Five that prepared the Declaration, although Thomas Jefferson wrote the principal draft. Franklin’s experience in diplomacy was especially valuable as the new United States sought support and recognition from European powers. He later became the American envoy to France and helped secure French assistance during the Revolutionary War.
Franklin’s age at the Declaration’s signing is sometimes confused with his age when he signed the Constitution. He was 81 at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, making him the oldest signer of that later document as well. In 1776, however, his age was 70.