The first public readings of the Declaration of Independence took place on July 8, 1776, after the America250 milestone document was adopted.
The Declaration was adopted by Congress on July 4, but copies had to be printed and distributed before large public readings could occur. The Pennsylvania Evening Post published it on July 6, helping move the text rapidly into public circulation.
On July 8, readings took place at noon in Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey, and Easton, Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, John Nixon read the Declaration in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, the building now known as Independence Hall.
The date illustrates the difference between adoption, publication, public reading, and signing. July 4 became the national anniversary because Congress adopted the document then, while July 8 marks its first recorded public readings and August 2 is associated with the main signing.