-
1750 BCE
The History of Finger Printing
Fingerprints used to be pressed into clay for official documentation which started between 1792-1750 BC -
300 BCE
The Earliest Fingerprints
Chinese historians believe they have found palm prints pressed into clay and wood for important documentation -
Western Beginnings
A paper written based on fingerprints discovered from 1684 -
Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer
Recognized fingerprints were unique to each individual. "The arrangement of skin ridges is never duplicated in two persons -
Jan Evangelist Purkyn
Was the first to describe the nine fingerprint patterns which include loops, spirals, circles, and double whorls -
Sir William Herschel
Used fingerprints for identification on contracts. Discovered each fingerprint is unique. -
Alphonse Bertillon
The first to identify repeating offenders using distinct fingerprint patterns. -
Galton and Sir Henry
Developed and introduced an identification system for fingerprinting. -
Ivan Vucetich
Noted measurements and improved the fingerprint identification system overall -
Sir Francis Galton
Was the first person to use fingerprints to solve a murder. Figured out fingerprints do not change with age.
