Happy Birthday to John Hancock! His signature on the Declaration of Independence is so iconic that “John Hancock” has become synonymous with signing your name. The spirit of this tale remains timeless: Hancock boldly declared, “Someone can read my name without spectacles.” Hancock didn’t just sign the most important document in US history; he also aided the Boston Tea Party, gave a public address commemorating the Boston Massacre, served as the president of the Second Continental Congress and was elected the first governor of Massachusetts. The DAR Americana Collection houses a complete set of the signatures of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. DAR’s copy of John Hancock’s signature is on a letter to Captain Elisha Hinman. Hancock recommends a Captain Moore to serve on the ship under Hinman’s command and praises Moore’s good character. You can view the collection of the signatures of the Declaration of Independence here: www.dar.org/signers (fb)