History of Fingerprint Science Quiz Crafted By-
Dr. Ranjeet Singh
CEO
Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science India Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
Introduction to History of Fingerprint Science
Despite this uncertainty, there are those who made a significant contribution towards the analysis of fingerprinting. History tells us that a 14th century Persian doctor made an early statement that no two fingerprints are alike. Later, in the 17th century, Italian physician Marcello Malpighi studied the distinguishing shapes of loops and spirals in fingerprints.
In his honour, the medical world later named a layer of skin after him. It was, however, an employee for the East India Company, William Herschel, who came to see the true potential of fingerprinting. He took fingerprints from the local people as a form of signature for contracts, in order to avoid fraud. In 1880 Henry Faulds suggested that fingerprints could be used to identify convicted criminals. He wrote to Charles Darwin for advice, and the idea was referred on to Darwin’s cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Galton eventually published an in-depth study of fingerprint science in 1892.
Although the fact that each person has a totally unique fingerprint pattern had been well documented and accepted for a long time, this knowledge was not exploited for criminal identification until the early 20th century. In the past branding, tattooing and maiming had been used to mark the criminal for what he was. The turning point was in 1903 when a prisoner by the name of Will West was admitted into Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary Amazingly, Will had almost the same Bertillon measurements as another prisoner residing at the very same prison, whose name happened to be William West. It was only their fingerprints that could tell them apart. From that point on, fingerprinting became the standard for criminal identification.
Let's look at the questions and their answers.
Ques 1. The Practice of Banishment in India was abolished in
a) 1935
b) 1947
c) 1955
d) 1965
Answer-c) 1955
Ques 2. Who was the first person to use fingerprints as identification in 1858?
a) Sir William Hershel
b) Dr Henry Faulds
c) Alphonse Bertillon
d) Sir Edward Henry
Answer-a) Sir William Hershel
Ques 3. In which country was the first case of a conviction based on fingerprint evidence?
a) Australia
b) Germany
c) Argentina
d) China
answer-c) Argentina
Ques 4. Which famous author was first to utilise fingerprint to solve a fictional crime?
a) Rudyard Kipling
b) Agatha Christie
c) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
d) Mark Twain
Answer-d) Mark Twain
Ques 5. Fingerprint Bureau was first established in:
a) England
b) China
c) India
d) Singapore
Answer-c) India
Ques 6. Who is known as the first one to use fingerprint as the means of identification
a) Dr. Henry Faulds
b) Sir William Herschel
c) Alphonse Bertillon
d) Sir Edward Henry
Answer-a) Sir William Herschel
Ques 7. Who was responsible for starting the first national fingerprint register in America in the 1920's?
a) Herbert Hoover
b) Calvin Coolidge
c) J. Edgar Hoover
d) August Vollmer
Answer-c) J. Edgar Hoover
Ques 8. The use of magnetic fingerprint was first reported by:
a) H. MacDonald
b) E. German
c) H. Faulds
d) F. Galton
Answer-a) H. MacDonald
Ques 9. This person is known as the “Father of Canadian Fingerprinting”:
a) Juan Francisco Steegers y Perera
b) James Mock
c) Michael Carrick
d) Edward Foster
Answer-d) Edward Foster
Ques 10. Credited for his practical interest in fingerprints in India as a means of identifying workers to ensure that payment of wages was not duplicated:
a) Dr. Henry Faulds
b) Sir William Henry
c) Sir Edward Henry
d) Sir Francis Galton
Answer-c) Sir Edward Henry