* On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
* On August 2, 1776, the engrossed copy of the Declaration was signed by John Hancock and Charles Thomson, the President and Secretary of the Continental Congress, respectively.
* Between July 4 and August 2, 1776, the Declaration was also signed by the remaining 55 delegates to the Continental Congress.
* The Declaration was not publicly signed on July 4, 1776, as there was no large public gathering to witness the event. Instead, it was signed in a closed session of the Continental Congress.
* The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a momentous event in the history of the United States, and it is commemorated each year on July 4th, Independence Day.