Dr Henry Faulds, Published a Letter First Evidence That Fingerprints Could Be Used as Proof of Guilt or Innocence in Legal Cases.

Dr. Henry Faulds, a Scottish medical missionary working in Japan, publishes a groundbreaking letter in Nature magazine on October 28, 1880, presenting the first scientific evidence that fingerprints could be used to identify individuals and determine guilt or innocence in legal cases.

While studying ancient pottery and noticing fingerprints baked into the clay, Faulds began to explore the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprint patterns. He conducted experiments and compared prints, proposing their use in criminal investigations—a revolutionary idea at the time.

Though Faulds’ contributions were initially overlooked in favor of others like Francis Galton and Edward Henry, modern forensic science recognizes him as one of the pioneers of fingerprint identification.