Fingerprints timeline

By GS15
  • 1000 BCE

    Fingerprints are first used

    Fingerprints are first used
    Fingerprints were used on official documents like a signature in ancient China and Persia.
  • fingerprint patterns are noticed

    fingerprint patterns are noticed
    A professor in Italy noticed that fingerprints had common patterns.
  • Discovered fingerprints are different

    Discovered fingerprints are different
    William Herschel began noticing that no two fingerprints were the same. He realized that fingerprints could be used for identification purposes.
  • Fingerprints are used to identify someone

    Fingerprints are used to identify someone
    A doctor wanted to know whose water bottle it was, so he used the fingerprints on the bottle to identify it in the lab.
  • Fingerprints first used to solve crime

    Fingerprints first used to solve crime
    In Argentina, there was a bloody fingerprint on the door frame. The police in Argentina was able to use it to identify the murderer.
  • America begins to use fingerprints

    America begins to use fingerprints
    The NYPD began to use fingerprints to identify people.
  • FBI starts using fingerprints

    FBI starts using fingerprints
    The FBI starts keeping track of fingerprints on file.
  • Fingerprints are filed in computers

    Fingerprints are filed in computers
    The FBI started to computerize the fingerprints so it's easier.
  • Fingerprinting childeren

    Fingerprinting childeren
    The FBI started to fingerprint children to identify kids who had gone missing.
  • Interpol has Fingerprint Identification System

    Interpol has Fingerprint Identification System
    Interpol has a system that has more than 150,000 fingerprints stored to identify criminals in 190 countries.