Forensic Science Timeline

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  • 13th Century China
    1300

    13th Century China

    The first case ever recorded using forensic science. A person was stabbed in the village and all the village knives were collected. The traces of blood left on the knife attracted flies and this caused the suspect to confess.
  • Mathieu Ordila

    Mathieu Ordila

    Considered the Father of Forensic Toxicology. He is called this because he was a chemist who published the first scientific paper on the detections of 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 and 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 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 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 weapon.