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200
China
Chinese records from the 221-206 BC Qin Dynasty include details about using handprints as evidence during burglary investigations. Clay seals bearing friction ridge impressions were used during
both the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC - 220 AD). http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
Jan 1, 1000
Contracts
All throughout history, fingerprints were used on official documents. They were used like a signature in places like ancient Babylon, China, Nova Scotia, and Persia. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/
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Jan 1, 1400
Persia
The 14th century Persian book "Jaamehol-Tawarikh" (Universal History), attributed to Khajeh Rashiduddin Fazlollah Hamadani (1247-1318), includes comments about the practice of identifying persons from their fingerprints. -
Different patterns
A professor at the University of Bologna, in Italy, named Macello Malpighi noticed that fingerprints had patters. Loops, whorls, arches, and ridges seemed to make up most fingerprints. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/
10.06.14 -
Specific patterns
A different professor named Johannes Evengelista Purkinje documented nine specific patterns to help identify types of fingerprints. Even with his discovery, the use of fingerprints did not catch on quite yet. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/
10.06.14 -
Identification
A magistrate in India named William Herschel began using fingerprinting as a way to make natives "sign" a contract. After several contracts, he began noticing that no two fingerprints were the same, and fingerprints could be used for identification purposes. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/
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Iodine fuming
Professor Paul-Jean Coulier, of Val-de-Grâce in Paris, published his observations that (latent) fingerprints can be developed on paper by iodine fuming, explaining how to preserve (fix) such developed impressions and mentioning the potential for identifying suspects' fingerprints by use of a magnifying glass. http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
ir francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist and a cousin of Charles Darwin, began his observations of fingerprints as a means of identification in the 1880's. In 1892, he published his book, "Fingerprints", establishing the individuality and permanence of fingerprints. The book included the first classification system for fingerprints.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
Solving a crime
A doctor in Tokyo became very interested in fingerprinting. Dr. Henry Faulds used fingerprints to identify who had left a bottle lying around. He matched fingerprints left on the bottle with a laboratory worker. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/ 10.06.14 -
United States
Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico, used his own fingerprints on a document to prevent forgery. This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
Professional use
Using a bloody fingerprint left on a doorframe, police in Argentina were able to identify a murderer. During the same year, certain police groups started keeping fingerprint files. -
England
After the success in Argentina and India, Scotland Yard began questioning whether it would be a useful system for England. The Scotland Yard Fingerprint Bureau was founded. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/ -
Sir Edward Richard Henry
1901 Introduction of fingerprints for criminal identification in England and Wales, using Galton's observations and revised by Sir Edward Richard Henry. Thus began the Henry Classification System, used even today in all English speaking countries.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
Paris
Paris police began keeping fingerprints of criminals on file. After a murder was committed, police found a fingerprint at the scene and compared it to their files. And they were able to identify the killer. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/ 10.06.14 -
Systematic use
First systematic use of fingerprints in the U.S. by the New York Civil Service Commission for testing. Dr. Henry P. DeForrest pioneers U.S. fingerprinting.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
Criminals
The New York State Prison system began the first systematic use of fingerprints in U.S. for criminals.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
America
The New York Police Department, and others across the state, began using fingerprints as a way to identify people. Over the next few years, the practice slowly spread westward. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_fingerprinting_timeline/287/ -
Kansas
The use of fingerprints began in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, and the St. Louis Police Department. They were assisted by a Sergeant from Scotland Yard who had been on duty at the St. Louis Exposition guarding the British Display.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
U.S. Marine
U.S. Marine Corps begins using fingerprints. http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
12 Points
Edmond Locard wrote that if 12 points were the same between two fingerprints, it would suffice as a positive identification. Locard's 12 points seems to have been based on an unscientific "improvement" over the eleven anthropometric measurements (arm length, height, etc.) used to "identify" criminals before the adoption of fingerprints. http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
FBI
In 1924, an act of congress established the Identification Division of the F.B.I.. The National Bureau and Leavenworth consolidated to form the nucleus of the F.B.I. fingerprint files. http://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm -
The fingerprint society
In 1974, four employees of the Hertfordshire (United Kingdom) Fingerprint Bureau contacted fingerprint experts throughout the UK and began organization of that country's first professional fingerprint organization, the National Society of Fingerprint Officers. -
Experts
At New Orleans, Louisiana on 1 August 1977, delegates to the 62nd Annual Conference of the International Association for Identification (IAI) voted to establish the world's first certification program for fingerprint experts.
http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
India
As of March 2014, the Unique Identification Authority of India operates the world's largest fingerprint (multi-modal biometric) system, with over 560 million fingerprint, face and iris biometric records. UIAI plans to collect as many as 600 million multi-modal record by the end of 2014.
http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html -
AFIS
The largest AFIS repository in America is operated by the Department of Homeland Security's US Visit Program, containing over 120 million persons' fingerprints, many in the form of two-finger records. The US Visit Program has been migrating from two flat (not rolled) fingerprints to ten flat fingerprints since 2007. "Fast capture" technology currently enables recording of ten simultaneous fingerprint impressions in as little as 15 seconds per person.
http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html