The first public readings of the United States Declaration of Independence took place on July 8, 1776.
The readings occurred at noon in three locations: Philadelphia, Trenton in New Jersey, and Easton in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, John Nixon read the document in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, the building later called Independence Hall.
This date is different from both the adoption date and the main signing date. Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, and most historians place the signing of the engrossed parchment copy on August 2. Public readings helped turn a congressional document into news for ordinary residents and soldiers.
The Liberty Bell is traditionally associated with the Philadelphia reading, although the famous claim that it rang on July 4 is not supported by contemporary evidence. The reading itself, rather than a legendary bell story, is the firmly documented public event connected with July 8.