The Liberty Bell got its name from being rung this day, July 8, 1776, to call the citizens of Philadelphia together to hear the Declaration of Independence read out loud for the first time. Made in England, this massive bell, weighing over 2,000 pounds, was rung on each successive anniversary until 1835, when it cracked on July 8 while tolling at the funeral of the famous Supreme Court Justice John Marshall. Inscribed on the Liberty Bell is a verse from Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 25: “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
