John Hancock’s oversized signature appears first on the engrossed United States Declaration of Independence.
Hancock was serving as president of the Continental Congress when the document was adopted. His prominent signature appears above the other delegates’ names, making it the most recognizable signature on the parchment.
The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776, but most historians believe the engrossed document was signed mainly on August 2. This distinction is a common point of confusion: Independence Day marks adoption, while the physical signing occurred later.
Hancock’s flamboyant handwriting also helped create the American expression “John Hancock,” meaning a person’s signature. The document eventually carried the names of 56 delegates, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams.