Forensic Accomplishments Timeline

  • 13th century China
    1247

    13th century China

    A murder caused by stab wounds had occurred in a Chinese village. By testing different blades on animal carcasses, it was concluded that the murder weapon was a sickle. They then used flies to test the sickles of the workers in the village to see which still had blood residue.
  • Mathieu Orfila

    Mathieu Orfila

    Known as the "Father of Toxicology". He worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensic medicine. He made studies of asphyxiation, exhumation, and decomposition.
  • William Herschel

    William Herschel

    Used fingerprints for identification on contracts to identify workers in India.
  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon

    Known as the “Father of Criminal Identification”. He developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish criminals or victims.
  • Henry Faulds

    Henry Faulds

    Was able to use fingerprints to eliminate an innocent suspect in a burglary offense.
  • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Published his first Sherlock Holmes story which was considered the first “CSI”, featured in four novels and 56 short stories. It popularized scientific crime-detection methods.
  • Francis Galton

    Francis Galton

    Published Finger Prints. He conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification which 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

    He discovered the blood groups, A, B, and O, and later received a Nobel Prize.
  • Edmond Locard

    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

    Albert S. Osborn

    Published Questioned Documents. Developed the fundamental principles of document examination.
  • Leone Lattes

    Leone Lattes

    Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood.
  • August Vollmer

    August Vollmer

    Established the First Crime Lab in United States, located in Los Angeles.