John Hancock, former president of United States Congress, has arguably one of the most famous signatures around. As the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, he led the charge for what was considered treason against the king. Popular history writes that he wrote his name in such large letters so that “The fat old king could read it without his spectacles.” Because of his bravery, hand lettering signatures are now often referred to as a ‘John Hancock.’
Bored Panda has compiled a list of other famous peoples ‘Hancocks,’ and some of these artists’ signatures are so extravagant they knock the congressman down a few spots. Some popular celebrities even scrawled a cartoon image by their name, and I’m sure you can imagine what Walt Disney drew. While some of these famous names are inspired, some people need to up their game or practice their handwriting. Scroll down below to see some of the best and worst autographs, and perhaps you will be motivated to work on your own penmanship. Never know when you could get famous, right? Don’t forget to upvote the most beautiful signatures!
#1 Vincent Price – American Actor, Well Known For His Distinctive Voice And Performances In Horror Films
Image source: Evening Standard
#2 John Hancock – The First And Third Governor Of The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts
Image source: John Singleton Copley
#3 Walt Disney – American Entrepreneur, Animator, Voice Actor And Film Producer
Image source: Alfred Eisenstaedt
#4 Elizabeth I – Queen Of England And Ireland From 1558 To 1603
Image source: Stock Montage
#5 Pablo Picasso – Spanish Painter And Sculptor Best Known For Co-Founding The Cubist Movement
Image source: Arnold Newman
#6 Kurt Vonnegut – American Novelist, Satirist
Image source: Marty Reichenthal
#7 Mahatma Gandhi – Indian Activist Who Was The Leader Of The Indian Independence Movement Against British Rule
Image source: Dinodia Photos
#8 Martin Luther King – American Baptist Minister And Activist Who Became The Leader In The Civil Rights Movement
Image source: Howard Sochurek
#9 Marilyn Monroe – American Actress, Model And Singer
Image source: Alfred Eisenstaedt
#10 Keiji Inafune – Japanese Video Game Producer, Illustrator And Businessman, The Co-Creator Of Megaman
#11 Albrecht Dürer – A Painter, Printmaker And Theorist Of The German Renaissance
Image source: PHAS
#12 John Lennon – English Singer, Songwriter, And Peace Activist Who Co-Founded The Beatles
Image source: Brian Hamill
#13 Keanu Reeves – Canadian Actor, Director, Producer, And Musician
Image source: Colin McConnell
#14 Michael Jackson – American Singer, Songwriter, And Dancer
Image source: Joshua Gates Weisberg-Pool
#15 Hugh Jackman – Australian Actor, Singer, And Producer
Image source: Kirk McKoy
#16 David Bowie – English Singer-Songwriter And Actor
Image source: Steve Schapiro
#17 George Washington – 1st President Of The United States
Image source: Smith Collection/Gado
#18 Leonardo Da Vinci – Italian Painter, Sculptor, Architect, Engineer And Inventor
Image source: Hulton Archive
#19 Bruce Lee – Actor, Film Director, Martial Artist, Martial Arts Instructor And Philosopher
Image source: Archive Photos
#20 Jay Leno – American Comedian, Actor, Writer, Producer, And Television Host
Image source: Chris Haston
#21 Angelina Jolie – American Actress, Filmmaker, And Humanitarian
Image source: Dan Kitwood
#22 Jacob Joseph Lew – An American Attorney Who Was The 76th United States Secretary Of The Treasury
Image source: Pete Marovich
#23 Victoria Beckham – English Businesswoman, Fashion Designer, Model, And Singer
Image source: Peter White
#24 Barack Obama – The 44th President Of The United States
Image source: Olivier Douliery-Pool
#25 Amy Winehouse – English Singer And Songwriter
Image source: Peter Macdiarmid
#26 Thom Yorke – English Musician And Composer, And The Singer And Principal Songwriter Of The Alternative Rock Band Radiohead
Image source: Matt Cardy
#27 Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook’s Founder And CEO
Image source: Chesnot
#28 Samuel L Jackson – American Actor And Film Producer
Image source: David Hume Kennerly
#29 Steven Tyler – American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Actor, And Former Television Music Competition Judge. He Is Best Known As The Lead Singer Of The Boston-Based Rock Band Aerosmith
Image source: PYMCA
#30 Tom Hanks – American Actor And Filmmaker Known For His Comedic And Dramatic Roles
Image source: Kevork Djansezian
#31 Anne Hathaway – American Actress And Singer
Image source: Sandy Young
#32 Morgan Freeman – American Actor, Producer, And Narrator
Image source: Gareth Cattermole
#33 Prince – American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Record Producer And Filmmaker
Image source: Richard Hartog
#34 Whitney Houston – American Singer, Actress, Producer, And Model
Image source: Walter McBride
#35 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Prolific And Influential Composer Of The Classical Era
Image source: Imagno
#36 Oprah Winfrey – American Media Proprietor, Talk Show Host, Actress, Producer, And Philanthropist
Image source: Theo Wargo
#37 Stephen Hawking – English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, And Author
Image source: Bruno Vincent
#38 Kurt Cobain – American Singer, Songwriter, And Musician Who Was The Lead Singer Of The Grunge Band Nirvana
Image source: Frank Micelotta
#39 Leonard Nimoy – American Actor, Film Director, Photographer, Author, Singer And Songwriter, Best Known For His Role As Spock Of The Star Trek Franchise
Image source: Steve Schapiro
#40 Antonio Banderas – Spanish Actor, Singer, And Producer
Image source: Fernando Camino
#41 Neil Patrick Harris -American Actor, Writer, Producer, Comedian, Magician, And Singer
Image source: Mark Veltman
#42 Heath Ledger – Australian Actor And Director
Image source: Bob Riha, Jr.
#43 Annie Lennox – Scottish Singer, Songwriter, Political Activist And Philanthropist
Image source: Samir Hussein
#44 Judith Sheindlin – Professionally Known As Judge Judy, Is An American Prosecution Lawyer, Former Manhattan Family Court Judge And Television Personality
Image source: Maureen Donaldson
#45 Bill Gates – Founder Of Microsoft Corporation
Image source: Inga Kjer
#46 Jackie Chan – Hong Kong Martial Artist, Actor, Film Director, Producer, Stuntman, And Singer
Image source: VCG
#47 J. K. Rowling – British Writer Best Known For The Harry Potter Fantasy Series
Image source: Mike Marsland
#48 Elizabeth II – Queen Of The United Kingdom And The Other Commonwealth Realms
Image source: Peter Byrne – WPA Pool
#49 Steve Jobs – CEO Of Apple Inc.
Image source: Tony Avelar
#50 Elvis Presley – American Rock Musician
Image source: Hulton Archive
#51 Daniel Radcliffe – English Actor Best Known For His Role As Harry Potter In The Film Series Of The Same Name
Image source: Chris So
#52 Emma Stone – American Actress
Image source: Jabin Botsford
#53 Neil Armstrong – American Astronaut And Aeronautical Engineer Who Was The First Person To Walk On The Moon
Image source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
#54 Will Smith – American Actor, Producer, Rapper, Comedian, And Songwriter
Image source: Chris Jackson
#55 Diego Maradona – Argentine Retired Professional Footballer And Manager
Image source: Daniel Garcia
#56 Robert Downey Jr – American Actor
Image source: Christian Jentz
#57 Arnold Schwarzenegger – Austrian-American Actor, Filmmaker, Politician And Former Professional Bodybuilder And Powerlifter
Image source: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis
#58 Sylvester Stallone – American Actor And Filmmaker
Image source: Eric Robert/Sygma
#59 Jim Carrey – Canadian-American Actor, Comedian, Impressionist, Screenwriter, Musician, Producer And Painter
Image source: Michael Kovac
#60 Justin Timberlake – American Singer-Songwriter, Actor, Dancer, And Record Producer
Image source: Miguel Villagran
#61 Rowan Atkinson – English Actor, Comedian, And Screenwriter Best Known For His Work On The Sitcoms Blackadder And Mr. Bean
Image source: Eamonn M. McCormack
#62 Clinton Eastwood – American Actor, Filmmaker, Musician, And Political Figure
Image source: Robert Gauthier
#63 Leonardo DiCaprio – American Actor, Film Producer, And Environmental Activist
Image source: Tibrina Hobson
#64 Brad Pitt – American Actor And Film Producer
Image source: Brendan Hoffman
#65 Bruce Willis – American Actor, Producer, And Singer
Image source: Ethan Miller
#66 Johnny Depp – American Actor, Producer, And Musician
Image source: Ray Tang
#67 Stephen Gilchrist Glover (Steve-O) – Actor, Stunt Performer, Producer, Comedian, Author, Musician, And Clown
Image source: Gage Skidmore
#68 Hillary Clinton – American Politician And Diplomat
Image source: Robert Cianflone
#69 David Gilmour – English Guitarist, Singer And Songwriter Best Known As A Longtime Member Of The Progressive Rock Band Pink Floyd
Image source: Dave Benett
#70 Nicki Minaj – Trinidadian-Born American Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Model, And Actress
Image source: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez
#71 Steven Spielberg – American Filmmaker
Image source: VCG
#72 Jason Biggs – American Actor And Comedian
Image source: Noam Galai
#73 Sandra Bullock – American Actress, Producer, And Philanthropist
Image source: Samir Hussein
#74 Kate Winslet – English Actress
Image source: Bob Riha, Jr.
#75 Beyonce – American Singer, Songwriter, Actress, And Businesswoman
Image source: Dave Hogan
#76 Shia LaBeouf – American Actor, Performance Artist, And Filmmaker
Image source: J. Merritt
#77 Muhammad Ali Jinnah – Pakistani Lawyer And Politician
Image source: Paul Popper
#78 Amanda Seyfried – American Actress, Model, And Singer-Songwriter
Image source: Karwai Tang
#79 Madonna – American Singer, Songwriter, Actress, And Businesswoman
Image source: Press Association
#80 James Franco – American Actor, Filmmaker, And College Instructor
Image source: Frazer Harrison
#81 Tom Cruise – American Actor And Producer
Image source: Max Mumby
#82 Justin Bieber – Canadian Singer, Actor And Songwriter
Image source: Ethan Miller
#83 Russell Crowe – Actor, Film Producer And Musician
Image source: Christian Jentz
#84 Donald Trump – 45th And Current President Of The United States
Image source: Nicholas Kamm
#85 Tim Allen – American Actor And Comedian
Image source: Roy Rochlin
#86 Mel Gibson – Actor And Filmmaker
Image source: George Pimentel
#87 Kanye West – American Rapper, Singer, Songwriter And Record Producer
Image source: Kevork Djansezian
#88 Adolf Hitler – German Politician Who Was The Leader Of The Nazi Party, Chancellor Of Germany And Dictator Of Nazi Germany
Image source: Heinrich Hoffmann
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