On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell rang from the tower of Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) to summon citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The document had been approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, but the bell was not rung to announce its completion until July 8 when printed copies were delivered. (The bell had been used for Pennsylvania state matters, but this tolling is the one for which it is famous.)
