Forensics History

By KBarry
  • 600

    First Use of Fingerprints

    Arabic salesmen used ink stamped fingerprints to identify indebted customers.
  • 1250

    First Use of Coroners

    King Richard used Coroners to investigate deaths.
  • First Forensic evidence used in a court case

    A torn piece of newspaper in a pistol matched a newspaper in a mans pocket.
  • More physical evidence used in court

    Clothes of a farmer matched those of a nearby murder.
  • Photography

    Photography
    San Francisco began using photographs in court.
  • Fingerprints confirmed to be unique

    Fingerprints confirmed to be unique
  • Sherlock Holmes

    Sherlock Holmes
    Arthur Conan Doyle published the very first Sherlock novel.
  • Fingerprints used in crime case

    Fingerprints are used to identify the murderer of an Argentinian police officer.
  • Fingerprints used to ID prisoners

    Fingerprint ID is used in New York state jail system
  • Forensic School opened

    Forensic School opened
    The first Forensic Science school is opened in Bern Switzerland
  • Hair in Forensics

    Hair in Forensics
    Hair was used in a court case for the very first time
  • Crime Labs

    Crime Labs
    The first police crime lab is constructed in LA
  • Federal Crime Lab

    The FBI founds a crime lab of their own.
  • Voice ID

    Voice prints are beginning to be used in criminal trials
  • NCA founded

    NCA is created and used by the FBI which files wanted people or stolen property.
  • Fingerprint Scanning

    The FBI invented and began using a fingerprint scanner.
  • Automatic fingerprint filing

    The canadian police created a system that automatically matches fingerprint scans to files.
  • DNA used for exoneration

    DNA was used to exonerate the number one suspect of a murder case.
  • DNA

    Alex Jeffreys creates DNA fingerprinting methods
  • DNA

    A man is convicted of sexual assault via DNA
  • DNA now reliable

    DNA is now reliable enough to confidently use in court
  • FBI DNA advancement

    The FBI makes automated fingerprint database for faster acquisition of files
  • Fast DNA ID

    DNA profiling means fingerprints can be added to a system in days instead of weeks.
  • Footwear detection

    Britains FSS develops footwear detection which identifies the tracks of certain shoes.