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Jan 1, 1248
Hsi Duan Yu
A Chinese author of the book "Hsi Duan Yu" recorded the different effects of drowning and strangulation on the body. This marked the first time that a crime was solved by applying medical knowledge. -
Detecting Poison
Valentin Ross discovered a way to find arsenic in the stomach of corpses during autopsies. -
The Father of Toxicology
Mathiew Orfila developed tests to find blood for forensic tests and also was the first to use a microscope to identify blood and semen in stains found in crime scenes. -
Fingerprints
Henry Faulds and William James Herschel discover that each person's fingerprints are unique and could be used as a way to identify people. -
Individualization of Guns
Alexandre Lacassagne found that the barrels of guns are all unique and tried to individualize bullets to the specific gun barrel. -
FBI
Theodore Roosevelt established the Federal Bureau of Investigation during his presidency -
Use of Hair
Victor Balthazard and Marcelle Lambert conducted a study using animal hair to show how hair follicles are different on each organism. After this study, hair was soon used in forensic cases. -
Lie Detectors
John Larson invented the first lie detector test to be used in police investigation. -
First Use of DNA
DNA was used as evidence in a case for the first time to convict a man of murdering two girls. Alec Jeffreys used his DNA profiling test to do so. -
Dental Matching
Japanese researchers developed a machine that can match a dental x ray to dental records in 4 seconds or less.
