Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Franklin was 70 years old when he signed the document in 1776. He represented Pennsylvania and was already internationally famous as a printer, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and political leader.
Franklin’s role went beyond signing. He served on the Committee of Five that reviewed Jefferson’s draft and later helped negotiate the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France. In 1783, he was also one of the American negotiators who signed the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War.
A common mix-up is assuming George Washington signed the Declaration; he did not. Washington led the Continental Army but was not a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. Franklin’s signature therefore links diplomacy, science, and the founding document celebrated in 2026.