John Hancock is traditionally regarded as the first signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress when the Declaration was adopted. On the engrossed parchment copy, his large signature appears prominently beneath the text, and he is generally understood to have signed first in his capacity as presiding officer.
The famous parchment was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, rather than during a ceremonial signing on July 4. Additional delegates signed later, including some who had not been present when Congress approved the Declaration’s wording.
Hancock’s unusually large, stylish handwriting helped turn his name into an American synonym for a signature. A popular story claims he wrote so boldly that King George III could read it without spectacles, but that anecdote is considered apocryphal. Hancock’s signature is also distinct from the printed name on the first Dunlap broadside, which was not a handwritten signature.