MARTINEZ, EICHRON B.

BS CRIMINOLOGY -2V

In China, fingerprint is called “Hua Chi”. The

value of fingerprints for purposes of
identification was found on a Chinese clay
seal made not later than the 3rd century B.C.
In England, Thomas Bewick, an English engraver,
author, and naturalist engraved the patterns of his own

1600s fingers on every wood-work he had finished to serve

as his mark so as to establish its genuineness.

1684-Nehemiah Grew published a report which

was read before the royal society of London,
England. He described the ridges and pores of
the hands and feet.
1685-G. Bidloo published a treaty describing
sweat pores and ridges. Also, Midle wrote a
book, “Human Anatomy,” in which he included a
drawing of the thumb print showing the ridge
configuration of the whorl pattern.

1686- Professor Marcelo Malpighi, an Italian

anatomist (GRANDFATHER OF
DACTYLOSCOPY according to Dr. Edmond
Locard – “Father of Poroscopy”), commented in 1700s
his writings on elevated ridges on the fingertips
and alluded to diverse figures on palmar surfaces.
1751-Hintzo wrote on the ridge formation,
but dealt with the subject from the
viewpoint of anatomy rather than
identification.

1764-Albinus followed along the same

lines as Hintzo had written.

1788-J.C.A. Mayer stated in his book

(Anatomische Kupfertafein Nebst Dazu
Geharigen) that although the arrangement
of the skin ridges is never duplicated in two
persons, nevertheless, the similarities are
1800s closer among some individuals.

1823- Johannes Evangelist Purkinje, (FATHER OF

DACTYLOCOSPY) a professor of anatomy at the
University of Breslau, published a thesis in Latin
(Commentio de Examine Physiogico Organi Visus
Et systematis Cutansi – A Commentary of the
Physiological Examination System: Dec. 22, 1823,
Breslau, Germany) describing the ridges, giving
them names and established certain rules for
classification (nine groups). He involves vague
differentiation of fingerprints or use them for
identification.

1856-Herman Welcker took the prints of his own

palm. In 1897, (forty one years later) he printed the
same palm to prove that the prints do not change.
(Principle of Permanency).

1883- Kollman, an anthropologist who wrote his

book on ridges and pores. He did not associate
fingerprints with identification
1858- Sir William J. Herschel (FATHER OF MARTINEZ, EICHRON B.
CHIROSCOPY), in Hoogly, district of Bengal, India, BS CRIMINOLOGY -2V
he used fingerprints in India to prevent fraudulent
collection of army pay account and for identification
of other documents. He printed the palms of natives
in order to avoid impersonation among laborers.
Prints of the entire palms were used instead of
signatures. The first person Herschel printed
appears to have been one RAJYADHAR KONAI.

1880- Dr. Henry Faulds, an English (Scottish) doctor

stationed in Tokyo, Japan, wrote a letter to the
English publication, “NATURE” – “On the Skin
Furrows of the Hand”, (dtd Oct. 28, 1880) on the
practical use of fingerprints for the identification of
criminals. He recommended the use of a thin film of
printers ink as a transfer medium and is generally
used today. Also, Sir Francis Galton, a noted British
anthropologist and a cousin of scientist Charles
Darwin began observation which led to the
publication in 1882 of his book “Fingerprints.”
Galton’s studies established the individuality of
classifying fingerprint patterns.

1882-Gilbert Thompson, a U.S. geological surveyor

in charge of a field project in New Mexico used his
own fingerprints in commissary orders to prevent
forgery. Isaiah West Taber – A photographer in San
Francisco advocated the use of the system for the
registration of the immigrant Chinese.

1883-An episode in Mark Twain’s life on the

Mississippi relates to the identification of a murderer
by his thumbprint. Twain (Samuel L. Clemens)
further developed his theme. Eleven (11) years
later, he causes the publication of “Puddin Head
Wilson”, a novel based on dramatic fingerprint
identification demonstrated during a court trial. His
story pointed out the infallibility of fingerprint
identification.

1888- Sir Edward Richard Henry, succeeded Sir

William J. Herschel at his post in India. He became
interested in fingerprints and devised a classification
of his own and published his work in book form and
titled it “Classification and Uses of Fingerprints.”

1889- Sir Richard Henry at Dove, England read a

paper detailing his system before the British
association for Advancement of Science.

1891- Juan Vucetich, an Argentinean police official,

installed fingerprints files as an official means of
criminal identification; based his system of the
pattern typed by Sir Francis Galton; and he also
claimed the first official criminal identification by
means of fingerprints left at the scene of crime.

In 1892, at La Piata, Argentina, a woman named

Rojas who had murdered her two sons and had cut
her own throat, though not fatal, blamed the attack
on a neighbor. Bloody fingerprints on a door post
were identified by Vucetich as those of the woman
herself which led to her confession.
1892-Sir Francis Galton, an English Biologist, wrote
his first textbook. He devised a practical system of
classification and filing. 1894-Sir Francis Galton’s
report on fingerprint as a method of identification,
along with his system, was read at Asquith
Committee of London, England. His system was
officially adopted on February 12, 1894.
 MARTINEZ, EICHRON B.
BS CRIMINOLOGY -2V
1900s

1900- Alphonse Bertillon’s system of body

measurement had by this time spread
throughout the world.

1901- Sir Edward Richard Henry was

appointed assistant commissioner at Scotland
Yard. His system was so applicable that Henry
emerged as the “Father of Fingerprints,” at
least as the first man to successfully apply
fingerprints for identification and marked the
official introduction of fingerprinting for
criminal identification in England and Wales.
The system employed was developed from
Galton’s observation and devised by Edward
Richard Henry, the Inspector-General of Police
in Bengal, India. He later became
commissioner of London’s Metropolitan
Police.

1914- Fingerprints were officially adopted in

France, replacing Bertillon age.

1902- Sir Henry P. Forest, chief Medical

examiner of New York Civil Service
Commission and an American preacher in
fingerprint science in the US for the New York
Civil Service commission to prevent applicants
from having betterqualified persons to take
the test for them. The New York Civil Service
Commission, on Dec. 19, 1902 required all civil
service applicants to be fingerprinted. Dr.
Henry P. Forest, put the system into practice.

1903- New York State Prison in Albany claims

the first practical, systematic use of
fingerprints in the US to identify criminals.

1903- Fingerprints identification was adopted

in the following penitentiaries: Singing Sing,
Napanoch, Auborn and Clinton prisons
Captain James Parke of the institution
installed the identification system where the
fingerprints of prisoners were taken and
classified and the fingerprint system was
officially adopted in June of the year. Today,
New York State uses the American system that
is similar to the Henry System and represents
the system initiated by Capt. Parke in 1903.

1904-Maj. R. Mccloughry, the warden of the

Federal Penitentiary of Leavenworth when the
office of the Atty. General of the U.S. granted
permission to establish a fingerprint bureau
therein. It was the first national government
use of fingerprints. In addition, John Kenneth
Ferrer (Perrier) of the Fingerprint Branch of
the New Scotland Yard, attended the St. Louis
Missouri Worlds Fair. He had been assigned to
guard the British Crown Jewels. American
police officials became interested in fingerprint
through him and he became their instructor.
1904-The City of St. Louis EICHRON
MARTINEZ, Missouri,B.became
the first city to adopt fingerprint. -2V
BS CRIMINOLOGY The police
department officials adopted the system on
October 29, 1904.
1905-Fingerpritning was officially adopted by
the U.S. Army. It was known as the first
military use of fingerprint.
1907-Fingerprinting was officially adopted by
the U.S. Navy (January 11, 1907).
1908-Fingerprinting was officially adopted by
the U.S. Marine Corps.
1910-Frederick A. Brayley published what
appears to be the first American book in
fingerprints.
1911-The State of Illinois, made the first
criminal conviction based solely upon
fingerprint evidence. It was known as the first
judicial ruling on such evidence, (People vs
Jennings, 252 Illinois 543-96 NE 1007, 43 LRA
(NS) 1206 for 1991).
1915-The International Association for
Criminal Identification was founded. The
word “criminal” was later dropped from the
Association’s name. It is the first organized
body of professional identification experts.
1916-The Institution of Applied Science
established at Chicago, Illinois was the first
school to teach fingerprint identification (June
16, 1916).
1916-Frederick Kuhne published a book
entitled “The Fingerprint Instructor,” which
probably the first authoritative book in
fingerprint to be circulated in the U.S. Munn
and Co., served as the publisher.
1919-Marked the publication of “Fingerprint
and Identification Magazine” (Chicago). The
first monthly journal devoted exclusively to
fingerprint science, (July 1919).
1920-The Exceptional Arch, a new pattern,
was adapted to Henry’s system by American
experts. The pattern was added after the
study made by the assembly members at
annual convention of the International
Association for Identification in 1920.
1922-Haken Jersengen, the sub-director of
police in Copenhagen, Denmark introduced
first a long distance identification to U.S. at a
police conference here. The method was
adopted and published in a magazine entitled
“Publications” of the International Police
Conference, (New York City Police
Department, 1932).
Mary K. Holland – the first American
Instructress in Dactyloscopy.
1924-The Identification Division of the FBI
was established after J. Edgar Hoover was
appointed Director. Moreover, The book
entitled “Single Fingerprint System” by T.K.
Larson, was first published in U.S., (Berkley,
Police Monograph Series) D. Application and
Co., New York City. Also, The First National
Bureau of Identification was created by the
act of Congress. The bureau was established
within the U.S. DOJ (Washington DC).
 MARTINEZ,
1925-Harry J. Myers EICHRON
II installed B. official
the first
BS CRIMINOLOGY -2V
fact fingerprint system for infants in Jewish
Maternity Hospital in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
1925-The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
used compulsory foot and fingerprinting of
new born infants and mothers which was
enacted into law by Act of General Assembly
as approved on April 20, 1925.
1932-The International Exchange of
Fingerprint date was initiated with a number
of other nations on February 15, 1932.
1933-The Bureau of Identification, U.S.
Department of Justice, adopted the single
fingerprint identification system. The first
national use of single print for identification
purposes for certain crimes only, (Feb. 1933).
1933-Latent fingerprints section, for making
technical examination of latent prints or have
inked prints on an individual basis was
instituted on November 10, 1933. The Civil
Identification on Section was established.
1937-The Institute of Applied Science installed
Photographic and Firearms Identification
(Forensic Ballistics) laboratories. The institute
was the first private school in U.S. which
installed laboratories for instructional
purposes only.
1938-A book by Harry J. Myers II, “History of
Identification of fingerprints in U.S.” was
published in Fingerprint and Identification
Magazine (Chicago, Illinois, Vol. 20, no. 4, Oct.
1938).
1946-the 100th millionth fingerprint card was
received in the identification division of the
FBI. The total grew to 152 million in May 11,
1959.
1967-“Minutiae” was initiated by the FBI, a
computerized scanning equipment to read and
record fingerprint identifying characteristics.
1972-the prototype automatic fingerprint
reader was delivered.
1973-implementation of the first phase of the
automated Identification System (AIS-1),
which was to establish the database consisting
of the name, description, and criminal record
of all first offenders with birthdates of 1956.
1978-Journal of Forensic Science – reported
that certain properties of perspiration and
body oils contained in latent print residue will
luminesce without pre-treatment and to a
degree that photographs could be taken when
activated by continuous Argon-ION Laser.
Hence, the FBI’s Latent Print Detection System
was put into use.
1979-AIS-2 replaced AIS-1. This phase
involved the automated searching by name
and other descriptor information of incoming
fingerprint cards against the database.
1979 (Oct. 17, 1979)-A latent fingerprint was
developed and lifted from the hand of a victim
in Miami, Florida murder resulting in
identifying the suspect. This was the first
known case where a fingerprint from a human
skin was used in the identification, prosecution
and conviction of a perpetrator of a crime.
 MARTINEZ, EICHRON B.
1982-Missing Children Act was signed
BS CRIMINOLOGY -2Vinto law
which requires the Attorney General to
acquire, collect, classify, and preserve any
information which would assist in the location
of any missing person (including an
unemancipated person as defined by the laws
of the place of residence of such person) or
assist in the identification of any deceased
individual who have not been identified.
1983-Completion of the conversion of the FBI
criminal fingerpint searching from manual to
automated searching. Also, AIS records
became available by mail upon request of the
National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC’s)
interstate identification index (III) – an
interstate record exchange.
1984-AIS records became available “ON-LINE”
through the NCIC program. Records from the
NCIC and AIS, and participating state and local
telecommunication networks became
available w/in seconds to authorized criminal
justice agencies.
1985 (Jan. 2) – a contract was awarded for
building the final phase of the Identification
Division Automated System (IDAS).
1989-IDAS implementation. Its features are:
integrated document transport equipment;
on-line automated technical fingerprint
search; and simplified processing flow. All, for
expeditious response time of fingerprint cards.
1900-Mr. Jones was the first to teach
fingerprints in the Philippines in the Phil.
Constabulary.
1918-The Bureau of Prisons records show that
carpetas (commitment and conviction records)
already bear fingerprints.
Under the management of Lt. Asa N. Darby
during the American occupation in the
Philippines, a modern and complete
fingerprint file has been established for the
Philippine commonwealth.
1937-The first Filipino fingerprint technician
employed by the Phil. Constabulary was Mr.
Generoso Reyes. Capt. Thomas Dugan of New
York City Police Department and Mr. Flaviano
C. Gurrero of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) gave the first examinations
in fingerprints.
1933-The first conviction based on fingerprints
was handed by the Supreme Court of the Phil.
in the case People vs. Medina and this case is
considered the leading judicial decision in the
Philippine jurisprudence concerning
fingerprinting (December 23).
The science of fingerprinting was first offered
as a subject in the Philippines through the
effort of the Plaridel Educational Institution.