| Year/Era |
Event |
Significance |
| ~1800 BCE |
Babylonian Code of Hammurabi includes early legal principles for evidence and punishment. |
One of the earliest recorded legal systems, laying groundwork for structured justice processes. |
| ~700 BCE |
Chinese use fingerprints on clay tablets for identification in business transactions. |
Earliest known use of fingerprints, foreshadowing forensic dactyloscopy. |
| ~200 BCE |
Chinese coroners document cause of death in the book Xi Yuan Ji Lu (The Washing Away of Wrongs). |
First recorded forensic practices for determining cause of death, including drowning and strangulation. |
| 1248 CE |
Chinese text Hsi Duan Yu details forensic methods for distinguishing accidental death from murder. |
Early codification of forensic techniques in criminal investigations. |
| 1590 |
Zacharius Jannsen invents the compound microscope in the Netherlands. |
Enabled detailed examination of trace evidence, foundational for forensic microscopy. |
| 1784 |
John Toms convicted in England using physical evidence (matching torn paper). |
Early use of physical evidence matching in a criminal trial. |
| 1813 |
Mathieu Orfila publishes Treatise on Poisons, establishing forensic toxicology. |
Introduced systematic poison detection, revolutionizing poisoning case investigations. |
| 1835 |
James Marsh develops the Marsh Test for detecting arsenic. |
Enhanced forensic chemistry by providing a reliable method for poison identification. |
| 1836 |
Henry Goddard uses bullet comparison to solve a murder case in England. |
Early application of ballistic analysis in criminal investigations. |
| 1880 |
Thomas Dwight pioneers skeletal analysis for identification in forensic anthropology. |
Established methods for identifying remains based on age, sex, and stature. |
| 1887 |
Alphonse Bertillon develops anthropometry (Bertillonage) for criminal identification. |
First systematic method for individual identification before fingerprints. |
| 1892 |
Sir Francis Galton publishes Finger Prints, proving fingerprint uniqueness. |
Laid the foundation for forensic fingerprinting as a reliable identification method. |
| 1893 |
Hans Gross publishes Handbook for Coroners, formalizing criminalistics. |
Introduced scientific methods to police work, establishing criminalistics as a discipline. |
| 1897 |
Oscar Amoedo uses dental records to identify victims of the Bazar de la Charité fire. |
Established forensic odontology for victim identification in mass disasters. |
| 1901 |
Edward Henry develops the Henry Classification System for fingerprints. |
Streamlined fingerprint identification, adopted globally by law enforcement. |
| 1910 |
Albert S. Osborn publishes Questioned Documents, founding forensic document examination. |
Standardized scientific analysis of handwriting, ink, and paper for legal cases. |
| 1910 |
Edmond Locard establishes the first forensic laboratory in Lyon, France, and formulates the exchange principle. |
Introduced trace evidence analysis, revolutionizing forensic investigations. |
| 1920 |
Calvin Goddard develops the comparison microscope for ballistic analysis. |
Improved accuracy in matching bullets to firearms, founding forensic ballistics. |
| 1932 |
FBI establishes its first crime laboratory in the United States. |
Marked the institutionalization of forensic science in law enforcement. |
| 1940 |
Arthur Mourant advances blood group analysis for forensic serology. |
Enhanced identification through blood and bodily fluid analysis. |
| 1977 |
Bernard Greenberg establishes forensic entomology for estimating time of death. |
Introduced insect analysis as a reliable method for postmortem interval estimation. |
| 1984 |
Alec Jeffreys develops DNA fingerprinting techniques. |
Revolutionized forensic identification with highly accurate DNA profiling. |
| 1986 |
First use of DNA evidence in a criminal case (Colin Pitchfork case, UK). |
Demonstrated the power of DNA profiling in solving crimes. |
| 1990 |
Development of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) enhances DNA analysis sensitivity. |
Enabled DNA profiling from minute biological samples, expanding forensic applications. |
| 2000s |
Advancements in digital forensics for analyzing electronic evidence. |
Addressed the rise of cybercrime with tools for recovering data from digital devices. |
| 2010s |
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) introduced for forensic DNA analysis. |
Improved accuracy and speed of DNA profiling, including complex mixture analysis. |
| 2020s |
Integration of AI and machine learning in forensic science for pattern recognition and evidence analysis. |
Enhanced efficiency in fingerprint matching, facial recognition, and drug identification. |
| 2025 |
Ongoing advancements in forensic proteomics and metabolomics for identifying biological markers. |
Expands forensic capabilities in identifying individuals and substances beyond DNA. |
