The first public readings of the Declaration of Independence were held on July 8, 1776.
The readings took place at noon in Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey, and Easton, Pennsylvania. These public presentations brought Congress’s declaration to wider audiences soon after the document was adopted on July 4.
In Philadelphia, the Declaration was read by John Nixon in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall. Public readings helped transform a congressional action into a shared public announcement across the colonies.
The first newspaper publication came earlier, on July 6, when The Pennsylvania Evening Post printed the text. This means July 6 and July 8 refer to different milestones: the first newspaper publication and the first designated public readings.