“Sweep the crime scene for fingerprints!” When people are watching crime television shows this is what they hear many crime scene detectives say. Although some people may think fingerprints are used only in television shows, they are actually used in real life to solve crimes, prove identity, set innocents free, and even for mundane purposes like unlocking smartphones.
Using fingerprints for useful purposes dates back to Ancient times. In the 14th century, a Persian doctor observed that no two fingerprints are alike. Fingerprints were found to be almost impossible to forge. Consequently, the Chinese, Babylonians, and Persians all used fingerprints as signatures for transactions. Thumb and fingerprints have been found on ancient clay tablets in Asia and the Middle East.
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. . to frighten [him] out of all thought of repudiating his signature." They believed imprinting a palm or finger was more binding than just a signature. As Herschel’s collection of fingerprints grew, he noticed that fingerprints were unique to each person and could be used to identify individuals. That same year, before fingerprinting was ever used to solve crimes, Mark Twain, an American author ahead of his time, used fingerprints to solve crimes in two of his novels, “Life on the Mississippi” and “Puddn’head Wilson”. In 1888, Sir Francis Galton noticed that fingerprints never changed due to cuts, burns, or age and he scientifically proved that fingerprints could be used to identify individuals and could even be used to convict a criminal of a crime. 3 years later, Juan Vucetich, an Argentine police officer, proved a woman murdered her two sons by using a bloody handprint on the door post of their home. This was the first criminal case ever to be solved by a fingerprint identification and the use of fingerprinting as crime scene evidence