The Declaration of Independence was first read publicly in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, but the document was not publicly read in Philadelphia until four days later. Colonel John Nixon delivered the reading from the Pennsylvania State House balcony, the building now known as Independence Hall. Bells around the city rang in celebration.
This date helps explain a common Liberty Bell misconception. The familiar story says the bell rang on July 4 to announce independence, but there is no contemporary account proving that it did. If the bell rang in connection with the Declaration, July 8 is the more historically plausible occasion because that was the date of the first Philadelphia public reading.
The Declaration’s adoption date remains the date celebrated as Independence Day, including during America250 in 2026. The signing process continued afterward, and the engrossed document was formally signed by most delegates on August 2.