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On this day – Declaration of Independence is signed

August 2, 2022

|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 2 of August, repeating indefinitely

On August 2, 1776, members of the Second Continental Congress began signing the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though the document had been approved earlier (on July 4th as we all know), only president of Congress John Hancock’s name was printed on copies distributed that month.

Did you know? The delegates were not ecstatic while signing the Declaration – the mood was sober as they recognized the magnitude and danger of their actions. Pennsylvania delegate Benjamin Rush recalled an “awful silence” in the room as many felt they were signing their “own death warrants.”

The signers’ names weren’t made public until the following year, when official copies were finally printed with the names attached.

Signing of Declaration of Independence, Charles Édouard Armand-Dumaresq, c. 1873

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Date:
August 2, 2022
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