-
600 BCE
Finger prints used for the first time
Arabic merchants take a debtors fingerprints and attach it to a bill. -
Criminal evidence is used in a criminal case
First recorded instance of physical evidence leading to a murder conviction. The evidence was a torn piece of newspaper that matched the news paper in his pocket. -
First use of photos in identification
San Francisco used photography for identification. They were the first to do so. -
Hair is used in forensics
Victor Balthazard and Marcelle Lambert publish their first study on hair. The first legal case ever involving hair took place in the study. -
Lie detector
Prototype polygraph was developed for use in police stations -
Facial Sketches match Photograph
Michigan State University develops a system that matches police sketches with mug shots in the police system.