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In 1248, the first forensic science manual was published by the Chinese. This was the first known record of medical knowledge being used to solve criminal cases. -
In the early 1600s, the first pathology reports got published. A pathology is a diagnosis determined by examining cells and tissue. -
The first autopsy performed was done in 1662. This was carried out on an 8 year old girl named Elizabeth Kelley. -
The first recorded instance of physical matching of evidence leading to a murder conviction was used with John Toms. Evidence was a torn piece of newspaper in a pistol that matched newspaper in his pocket. -
In 1832 police arrested John Bodle for lacing his grandfather's coffee with poison. Chemist James Marsh tested the drink in his laboratory. He confirmed that arsenic was detected by producing a yellow precipitate of arsenic sulfide. -
In 1854, San Francisco is the first to use photography for criminal identification. -
Henry Faulds and WIlliam James Herschel published a paper describing the uniqueness of fingerprints. Francis Galton, a scientist, adapted their findings for the court. -
In 1882, Bertillon was able to identify offender after offender by using body measurements. Bertillon then designed an incremental physical description system. -
Coroner's act established that coroners were to determine that causes of sudden, violent, and unnatural deaths. Arthur Conan Doyle also publishes the first Sherlock Holmes story. -
In 1892, fingerprint ID used in crime. An Argentinean police officer, Juan Vucetich is the first to use fingerprints as evidence in a murder investigation, -
In 1901, Karl Landsteiner explained that people have different types of blood cells and that there are different blood groups. -
In 1909, Rodolphe Archibald Reiss was the founder of the first adamic forensic science program at the University of Lausanne. -
Victor Balthazard and Marcelle Lambert publish the first study on hair, including microscopic studies from animals.The first legal case to ever involve hair took place shortly after this study. -
Victor Balthazard realizes that tools used to make gun barrels never leave the same markings, and individual gun barrels leave identifying grooves on each bullet fired through it. -
The first crime labs were being built with the first police crime lab being built in Los Angeles. This is a big step for the police in finding criminals. -
In 1930, John Larson invented the prototype for the lie detection test (polygraph). -
Crime experts and the FBI establish their own crime laboratory. Also, a chair of legal medicine at Harvard was established. -
In 1960, a sound spectrograph was discovered to to be able to record voices. This is beneficial for recording confessions. -
In 1967, the FBI established the National Crime Information Center. This is a computerized national filing system. -
The Aerospace Corporation used scanning electron microscopy for the analysis of inorganic gunshot residues. This is a crucial step for forensic science. -
In 1984, new DNA techniques are found by Sir Alec Jeffreys. These techniques are in the field of fingerprinting. -
In 1987, DNA profiling is used to convict Tommy Lee Andrews for a series of sexual assaults. DNA profiling is a huge advance in criminal science. -
In 1996, the National Academy of Science announces DNA evidence is reliable. -
In July 1999, the fingerprint identification function was automated in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. The ability to identify fingerprints was monumental to the study of forensics. -
In 1999, the FBI establishes the integrated automatic fingerprint identification system which went from taking two weeks to now taking only two hours. -
In 2001, DNA IDs went from taking 6 to 8 weeks progressed to 1 to 2 days. This advance made the arresting process much more rapid. -
In 2007, Britain's forensic science service develops online footwear coding and detection systems. This enables investigators to trace shoes back to criminals. -
Scientists can now examine fingerprints even the ones that have been removed. The fingerprint oils erode metal on guns, etc. -
In 2011, Michigan State University develops software that automatically matches hand drawn facial sketches to mugshots. This technology is an advance in identifying criminals. -
In 2011, Japanese researchers develop a dental x- ray matching system. This is beneficial for cases that include a bite mark. -
On July 18 2013, The Innocence Project, The National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers and its partners announced a groundbreaking and historic agreement with the FBI and the DOJ to review more than 2000 criminal cases in which the FBI conducted microscopic hair analysis of crime scene evidence. -
In 2013, The U.S. Department of Justice announces the launch of the National Commission on Forensic Science. -
In 2015, the NIST established a 5 year, $20 million initiative for a forensic science of excellence and awards funding to a consortium led by Iowa State University. -
In September 2016, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released the report "Forensic Science in Criminal Courts". -
The charter of the National Commission on Forensic Science expires and the commission is disbanded by the Department of Justice. -
In 2019, the committee that authored the Academies' report received the Champion of Justice award from the Innocence Network. -
This new forensic technology, developed by the Department of Homeland Security can use DNA to make family connections in times of crisis. -
In July 2020, Forensic scientists have discovered a new way of presenting fragile evidence by reconstructing a "jigsaw" of human bone fragments using 3D printing.