Many people know about fingerprinting because of what they see on television, but very few people know where fingerprinting originated. 

• Late B.C. – Nova Scotia, pre-historic “picture writing” of hand with ridge patterns found
• 8th Century A.D. – Chinese documents refer to fingerprints being impressed upon business  contracts
• 1684 – Dr. Nehemia Grew lectured Royal College of Physicians on “Ridge patterns” on  fingers, but said scientific approach to fingerprinting was essential before it could  be put to Practical use
• 1686 – Newly developed instrument, the microscope, noted “certain elevated ridges” that  appeared as “loops and spirals”
• 1823 – Professor of Anatomy at U of Breslau publishes thesis - “9 Fingerprint Patterns”
• 1858 – Sir William Herschel, Bengal India, Began first known official use of fingerprints  on a large  scale, requiring natives to affix signatures and fingerprints to contracts
• 1880 – Dr. Henry Faulds, Tsukiji Hospital in Tokyo, publishes article discussing  fingerprints and the use of a thin film of printer’s ink. Also discusses potential  to use fingerprints for identification of criminals.
• 1892 – Cousin of scientist Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Galton, publishes book Finger  Prints.  Devises first scientific method of classifying fingerprint patterns.
• 1893 – First use of fingerprints as an official means of identification by Juan Vuetich,  an Argentinian police official, based on patterns described by Francis  Galton
• 1901 – Scottland Yard starts UK Fingerprint Bureau, devised by Sir Edward Henry,  who simplifies fingerprint classifications making it applicable to police ID. Used  by FBI today.
• 1902 – First known systematic use of fingerprints in the US by NY Civil Service  Commission “to prevent applicants from having better qualified persons take  tests for them.”
• 1924 – FBI establishes Identification Division, with 810,188 fingerprint records.
• February 14, 1929 –  St. Valentines Day Massacre generates interest to start State  level identification bureau (State central repository for criminal records)
• January 1, 1991 – Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act becomes law and  mandates all criminal history CONVICTION (versus arrest) information be  collected and maintained by the IL State Police BOI, and be made available to  the public pursuant to IL statute.
• 1992 - Illinois begins the ELECTRONIC capture of fingerprints