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1247
13th Century China
The first case ever recorded using forensic science. Victim had been slashed, weapon was suspected to be a sickle but many people around had the tool. Magistrate asked workers to lay out their tools and all looked clean but one attracted flies. The flies were attracted to the residue of blood and tissue that is not visible to the human eye. -
Mathieu Orfila
Considered the "Father of Forensics Toxicology", was the first great 19th century exponent of forensic medicine. Orfila worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensics medicine, and made studies of asphyxiation, the decomposition of bodies, and exhumation. -
William Herschel
Used thumbprints on documents to identify workers in India -
Alphonse Bertillon
"Father of Criminal Identification". Developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals. -
Henry Faulds
Uses fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect. -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published his first Sherlock Holmes story; Considered the first "CSI", featured in four novels and 56 short stories, popularized scientific crime-detection methods. -
Francis Galton
Published Finger Prints. Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification. Gave proof of their uniqueness. -
Hans Gross
Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. Published Criminal Investigation. -
Karl Landsteiner
Discovered the ABO blood groups, later received Noble Prize. -
Edmond Locard
Incorporated Gross' principles within a workable crime lab; became the founder and director of the institute of criminalistics at the University of Lyons, France. -
Albert S. Osborn
Published Questioned Documents. Developed the fundamental principles of document examination. -
Leone Lattes
Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood -
August Vollmer
Established the First Crime Lab in United States, located in Los Angeles. -
Calvin Goddard
Developed a comparison microscope; First used to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon
