The original draft was signed by 56 men, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. John Hancock was the most famous signer, and his signature became an icon and an informal synonym for "signature" in the United States. The oldest signer of the document was Benjamin Franklin, while the youngest was Edward Rutledge. Both men were Second Continental Congress members and had significant political power. Their names were not released until 1777 when Congress authorized printing an official copy with their names attached.
Even though the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, it remains controversial. Thomas McKean, a signer who questioned the date of the signing, claimed that some of the signers were not in Philadelphia on July 4 and were not even elected to Congress until July of that year. In addition, he claimed that no one actually signed the document that day. His argument gained some support when the secret journals of Congress were published, which contained two previously undisclosed entries regarding the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
