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Forensic Science Contributions

  • 13th Century China
    1235

    13th Century China

    First recorded case using forensic science. Someone was stabbed with a knife so the town's people gathered all the knives together and watched as flies went to the knife with blood splatters on it. The knife owner confessed.
  • Period: 1235 to

    Forensic Scientific Contributions

    Different scientists and individuals that contributed to forensic science.
  • Mathieu Orfila

    Mathieu Orfila

    "Father of Forensics"
    Toxicology: tested 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" Developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish people
  • Henry Fauld

    Henry Fauld

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

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Considered the first 'CSI' popularized scientific crime-detection methods. Published his first Sherlock Holmes story.
  • Francis Galton

    Francis Galton

    Published "Finger Prints". Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification. He discovered proof of their individuality.
  • Hans Gross

    Hans Gross

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

    Karl Landsteiner

    Discovered the ABO Blood groups. Received the 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 the US, located in LA, California.
  • Calvin Goddard

    Calvin Goddard

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