Myth: The Declaration of Independence Was Signed on July 4

Every year, Americans celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July, and it’s commonly believed that July 4, 1776, marks the date the Declaration of Independence was signed. In reality, the Continental Congress voted to declare independence on July 2, and the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted two days later on July 4. (John Adams even predicted that July 2 would be celebrated as a national holiday for centuries to come.) The signing of the document, meanwhile, didn’t begin for another month; John Hancock was the first founding father to sign the declaration, on August 2, 1776.