56 men signed the Declaration of Independence, but many of them never became famous The Fourth of July wasn’t made a federal holiday until 1870 The first Fourth of July fireworks were in 1777 ...

It was read publicly for the first time on July 8 by Colonel John Nixon at what is now Independence Square in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence was not signed, however, until Aug. 2, 1776.

What do we celebrate on July 4? July 4, also known as Independence Day, marks the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Blau, Eleanor. "Declaration of Independence Sells for $2.4 Million." The New York Times. 14 June 1991. Hance, Mary. "Turns Out, Expensive Document Was Tossed by Guy Cleaning Out His Garage." ...

The Declaration of Independence set forth a rationale for a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It remains what it was 249 years ago: a profoundly revolutionary document.

Two Pulitzer Prize-winning historians discuss the history of the Declaration of Independence, and its founding principle that "all men are created equal." Accessibility links.