Fingerprints: A History

Fingerprints were first used in ancient Babylon and China as a way for people to 'sign' clay tablets as business transactions. Later on, it was noted that no two fingerprints were alike as the English began using them to create binding contracts in 1856, starting with Sir William Hershel.

Throughout the next 50 years, many studies were published over the use of fingerprints in identifying people, including articles in the Scientific Journal by Dr. Henry Faulds and a book 'Fingerprints' by Sir Francis Galton in 1888.

By 1892, the first criminal identification using fingerprints was made in Argentina. In 1903, the New York State Prison began to systematically collect and file prints in a database. Between 1905 and 1908, The Us Army, Navy, and Marine Corps joined the bandwagon and began to use fingerprinting.

Later on, in 1999, the FBI stopped manually taking fingerprints on paper and instead used computerized AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) to catalog prints. There are currently hundreds of millions of fingerprints on file.

Fingerprinting remains an effective method of identifying people because, while physical features change, fingerprints do not. No two people have the same fingerprints, and fingerprints can be classified to narrow down the suspects.


Here is one of the comments I posted in response to an ongoing debate (check out the comments for more!) that gives my opinion on the question of whether or not the government should be able to record and file every US Citizen's fingerprints. A good portion of the ficticious case was speculation-- comments are appreciated!

------I agree that fingerprinting and things like retinal scans or DNA tests can be combined to provide more accurate results, but even if a fingerprint has been on a surface for days or weeks, it offers a solid database of suspects and a pool of people to question about the crime scene.

Say, for example, that a CEO is murdered in a hotel lobby. Prints lifted off the letter opener which was used as the murder weapon include those of the hotel manager, three desk receptionists, the janitor, and two unknowns. Becuase the hotel's staff was working in close proximity to the crime scene, they are automatically considered as suspects and questioned. The other two unknowns prove to be a salesman that had checked in last week and a disgruntled employee that had worked under the murdered CEO. The salesman, receptionist, and employees were questioned and they confirmed the murderer's arrival and depature at the hotel surrounding the date of the murder.

Although there were 6 innocent people, by questioning them and having everyone's fingerprints, the invesigators were able to make the connection between the murderer and victim. Forensics is about making connections-- between DNA samples, fingerprints, handwriting, hair, fibers, and much more.