Fingerprinting
History
People have noticed subtle differences in fingerprint patterns for centuries. The following websites illustrate this history. Browse the sites listed and answer these questions.
- What is Dactyloscopy?
- Why were fingerprints used in Ancient Babylon?
- When and why were fingerprints first used in the United States?
- In which country were fingerprints used to identify a woman who murdered her two sons?
- Which state in the United States first used fingerprints for criminals?
- What famous criminal case made fingerprinting the standard for personal identification?
- How many methods are there for taking fingerprints?
- How do we classify fingerprints?
Sir William Herschel
Fingerprints weren't used as a method for identifying criminals until the 19th century. In 1858, Sir William Herschel, a British Administrator in India, required fingerprint and signatures on civil contracts.
