This Day in History: Liberty Bell Tolls to Announce Declaration of Independence.
July 8, 1776.
Adopted four days earlier, the printed copies of the Declaration of Independence were not completed until July 8.
Made of copper and tin, the 2,000 pound bell rang out from what is now known as
Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
During the American Revolution, the bell was hidden in Allentown and returned with the defeat of the British in 1781.
The famous Liberty Bell crack is thought to have occurred as it tolled during the funeral of chief justice John Marshall in 1835.
While the bell has not been rung since 1846, it continues to be tapped ceremoniously for important events.
The Liberty Bell is now housed in a pavilion close to Independence Hall.
It attracts more than a million tourists every year.