Contributions in Forensic Science

  • 13th Century China
    1201

    13th Century China

    The first case ever recorded using forensic science. A man in the village was stabbed causing all of the knives to be collected, laid out, then were examined with the background knowledge of flies being attracted to traces of blood.
  • Mathieu Orfila

    Mathieu Orfila

    Known as the "Father of Forensic Toxicology" due to his publication of the first scientific paper on the detection of poisons and their effects on animals.
  • William Herschel

    William Herschel

    Used thumbprints on documents to identify workers in India.
  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon

    "Father of Criminal Identification" who developed anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals.
  • Henry Faulds

    Henry Faulds

    Uses fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect.
  • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    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.
  • Fancis Galton

    Fancis Galton

    Published Finger Prints. Conducted the first definitive study for fingerprints and their classification. Gave proof of their uniqueness.
  • Hans Gross

    Hans Gross

    Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. Published Criminal Investigation.
  • Karl Landsteiner

    Karl Landsteiner

    Discovered the ABO blood groups, later received Nobel prize.
  • Edmond Locard

    Edmond Locard

    Incorporated Gross' principles with a workable crime lab; became the founder and director of the institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lions, France
  • Albert S. Osborn

    Albert S. Osborn

    Published Questioned Documents. Developed the fundamental principles of document examination
  • August Vollmer

    August Vollmer

    Established the First Crime Lab in the United States, located in Los Angeles
  • Calvin Goddard

    Calvin Goddard

    Developed a comparison microscope; first used to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon.
  • Leon Lattes

    Leon Lattes

    Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood.