History of CSI

By shipleyem
  • 700

    First Fingerprints

    it has been proven that the Chinese would use fingerprints to show the ownership of clay, documents, and sculptures.
  • 1248

    Hsi DuanYu (the Washing Away of Wrongs)

    in 1248 a book was released that showed how to tell the difference between a drowning or strangled victim. This was the first piece of medical knowledge brought into crime.

  • Physical Matching

    the first documented use of physical matching was recorded when police found a edge of a wad of newspaper in a pistol that matched the piece remaining in the killers pocket.

  • Blood Tests

    the first development of tests to use blood testing in forensic cases was ran in the 1800's, although blood testing was not actually used until the late 20th century.

  • The Marsh Test

    James Marsh, an English chemist, developed a test to identify the presence of arsenic in tissues, and was the first person to use Toxicology in a jury trial.

  • Crime Photography

    Shortly after the invention of photography, Alphonse Bertillon developed the first system for documenting a crime scene by taking a wide lenses picture of a dead body.

  • "Questioned Documents"

    this is a book by Albert Sherman on techniques in forensic documents examinations.

  • Fingerprints

    Fingerprints are accepted by the US Court to be a reliable source of identification. The first person to be convicted of murder through a fingerprint was Thomas Jennings.

  • Microscope

    A dutch physicist named Frits Zernike invented the first interference contrast microscope, which makes almost transparent items easy to see.

  • Invention of the Breathalyzer

    Robert Frank Borkenstein invented the instrument that tests a persons blood alcohol content from a simple breath.

  • Federal Rules of Evidence

    In 1975, a set of rules that governs the introduction of evidence at civil and criminal federal trials was passed.

  • DNA

    the first time DNA was used to solve a crime and exonerate an innocent suspect.

  • Advanced Technology

    In recent years the world has jumped forward with technology, and it has worked its way into CSI, making it faster and more efficient.