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Forensic Science Timeline

  • 13th Century China
    1250

    13th Century China

    The first case ever recorded using forensic science. Someone was stabbed and all the knives in the village were collected. Flies landed on the knife that was used to kill the person. The suspect then confessed.
  • Mathieu Orfila

    Mathieu Orfila

    Orfila was the Father of Forensic Toxicology because he worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensic medicine, and made studies of the decomposition of bodies, and exhumation.
  • William Herschel

    William Herschel

    He used thumbprints to identify workers in India.
  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon

    Father of Criminal Identification. 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.
  • Francis Galton

    Francis Galton

    Published Finger Prints. Conducted the first definitive study of 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 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 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 person.