Important Contributions to Forensic Science

By Urleen
  • 13th Century China
    Jan 1, 1200

    13th Century China

    The first ever recorded use of forensic science is when someone was stabbed to death in China, and the officials in the village gathered all the knives in the village and flies gathered on one, and they were able to aprehend the suspect.
  • Matheiu Orfila

    Matheiu Orfila

    Matheiu Orfila, considered the father of forensic toxicology, published the first scientific paper on the detection of poisons and their effect on animals.
  • William Herschel

    William Herschel

    An English barron that used fingerprints to identify workers in India.
  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon

    "Father of Criminal Identification". Developed the Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals
  • Henry Faulds

    Henry Faulds

    Used fingerprint identification to eliminate and innocent suspect of a robbery
  • 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 "Fingerprints". Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints in the classification. Gave proof of their uniqueness
  • Hans Gross

    Hans Gross

    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 recieved the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Edmon Locard

    Edmon Locard

    Incorporated Gross's principles within a workable crime lab became the founder and director of the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyons, France
  • Leone Lattes

    Leone Lattes

    Developed a methos for determininf blood type from dried blood
  • August Vollmer

    August Vollmer

    Established the First Crime Lab in the United States, located in Los Angles
  • Calvin Goddard

    Calvin Goddard

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