Which person signed the Declaration of Independence first?

John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence first among the delegates whose names appear on the document.

Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress when the Declaration was adopted. His large, prominent signature appears beneath the text and became one of the best-known features of the parchment. The phrase “John Hancock” later became an informal American expression for a signature.

The signing itself primarily took place on August 2, 1776, rather than on July 4. Hancock’s signature was especially important because the president of Congress signed in an official capacity, while the other delegates’ signatures followed. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the engrossed copy.

George Washington did not sign the Declaration because he was serving as commander in chief of the Continental Army, not as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin did sign, but Hancock’s signature occupies the distinctive first position.