The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia took place on July 8, 1776.
Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration from the Pennsylvania State House balcony, now Independence Hall. The event followed Congress’s adoption of the document on July 4 and brought the text to the public in the revolutionary capital.
The date is sometimes confused with July 4, which marks congressional adoption of the final Declaration text and is celebrated as Independence Day. July 2 is also important because Congress approved the resolution declaring independence on that day. The parchment engrossed copy was signed beginning on August 2.
The Liberty Bell is traditionally linked with the July 8 reading, but historians cannot prove that it rang for the occasion. The bell’s later symbolism helped connect it with the Declaration and the broader story of American independence.