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First Use of Fingerprints
In 1882, Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico, used his own thumb print on a document to help prevent forgery. This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States. -
Alphonse Bertillon Created the Bertillon System
Bertillon started to measure people's body parts and record them down. Bertillon's system included measurements such as head length, head width, length of the middle finger, length of the left foot; and length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Bertillon also established a system of photographing faces - which became known as mugshots. -
First use of Fingerprinting by a Police Officer
Juan Vucetich, an Argentine Police Official, first initiated the fingerprinting of criminals -
The First Book on Fingerprints
Sir Francis Galton publishes the first book on fingerprints.
In his book, Galton identifies the individuality and uniqueness of fingerprints. -
First System of Classifying Fingerprints
Sir Edward Henry, an Inspector General of Police in Bengal, India, develops the first system of classifying fingerprints.This system of classifying fingerprints was first adopted as the official system in England, and eventually spread throughout. -
Fingerprints are used by the Feds
U.S. Military adopts the use of fingerprints. Soon thereafter, police agencies began to adopt the use of fingerprints -
The First Fingerprint Card was Created
The first official fingerprint card was developed -
Fingerprints are a Reliable Source
Fingerprints are first accepted by U.S. courts as a reliable means of Identification. -
Formation of ID Division of FBI
Formation of ID Division of FBI -
First Computer Data Base for Fingerprint
First computer data base of fingerprints was developed, which came to be known as the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, (AFIS). In the present day, there nearly 70 million cards, or nearly 700 million individual fingerprints entered in AFIS