Forensic Science Timeline

  • 44

    First Autopsy

    Julius Caeser was the first person to have an autopsy preformed on him after his assassination.
  • 400

    Medical Experts in Charge

    It was determined by law that only medical experts could determine the cause of death due to a crime.
  • Apr 11, 600

    Fingerprints

    Medical examiners began using fingerprints to determine the identity of the body being examined.
  • Apr 11, 1248

    First Forensic Science Book

    The Chinese published the first forensic science manual. This was the first time medical information was used in criminal cases.
  • Physical Evidence

    Physical evidence was first recorded in a crime scene leading to the discovering of a murderer.
  • Using Blood

    Investigators began using blood for identification.
  • Forensic School

    The first forensic school was created by Rodolphe Archibald Reiss in Switzerland.
  • Voice Recording

    The sound spectrograph was invented and able to record voices. This could be turned into evidence for a crime investigation.
  • DNA

    DNA is now being used for identification.
  • Facial Sketches

    Facial sketches are now being used with software that automatically matches facial sketches through a mug shot database.