When were "fingerprints" first used for ID?

1000-2000 B.C. - Fingerprints were used on clay tablets for business transactions in ancient Babylon.

3rd Century B.C. - Thumbprints begin to be used on clay seals in China to “sign” documents.

610-907 A.D. - During the T’ang Dynasty, a time when Imperial China was one of the most powerful and wealthy regions of the world, fingerprints are reportedly used on official documents.

Some one would have to look at the fingerprint to verity that was the same person.

More Info: www.fingerprintamerica.com

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31 Comments

dick aspel

One of those questions just laid to trip up and trick. They had no means of cross-referencing so pretty much baloney.

Dirk A Schnarr

https://www.onin.com/fp/fphistory.html Purposely deceptive question!

Orlando Giménez

When were "fingerprints" first used for ID? 1911 - Fingerprints are first accepted by U.S. courts as a reliable means of Identification.

Spencer Young

Wow, they must have had a huge database.

David Colloby

I suspected a trick question and went for the obvious

Donald McBurney

1896 would be the correct answer.there is no place for trick questions here.

lls

...I know what "you're" saying, but I'm still going with 1911...

Kath Thomson

David Colloby, there was no trick question. Clay tablets have been found in Babylon circa 2000-1000 BC with a fingerprint used by the person cerifying the document. Very few people were able to read or write back then so there would only be well-known scribes able to certify a clay document. And the first use of fingerprint ID in a court case was in Argentina in 1892, followed by Australia & France in 1902, Germany in 1903, New Zealand 1905, USA 1911, UK 1912, Canada 1914.

Kath Thomson

Donald McBurney, this was no trick question. Clay tablets have been found in Babylon circa 2000-1000 BC with a fingerprint used by the person cerifying the document. Very few people were able to read or write back then so there would only be well-known scribes who would be able to certify a clay document. And the first use of fingerprint ID in a court case was in Argentina in 1892, followed by Australia & France in 1902, Germany in 1903, New Zealand in 1905, USA in 1911, UK in 1912 & Canada in 1914.

Kath Thomson

Orlando Giménez, the given answer is correct. Clay tablets have been found in Babylon circa 2000-1000 BC with a fingerprint used by the person cerifying the document. Very few people were able to read back then so there would only be fairly well-known scribes able to certify a clay document. Using fingerprints to identify a criminal was first used in Argentina. In 1892, a police officer named Juan Vucetich used fingerprints to solve a murder case, marking the first recorded instance of fingerprint evidence being used in a court of law. UK in 1901, Australia & France 1902, Germany 1903, New Zealand 1905 so USA a long way behind.

Kath Thomson

Dirk A Schnarr, This was no trick question. Clay tablets have been found in Babylon circa 2000-1000 BC with a fingerprint used by the person cerifying the document. Only scribes were able to read and write back then so they would be fairly well-known scribes who would be able to certify a clay document.

Kath Thomson

Spencer Young, only scribes were able to read and write back then. Everyone else used these scribes to write letters and documents so the "database" would be very small.

Kath Thomson

Donald McBurney, This was no trick question. Clay tablets have been found in Babylon circa 2000-1000 BC with a fingerprint used by the person cerifying the document. Very few people were able to read back then so there would be only be well-known scribes who would be able to certify a clay document.

Kath Thomson

Ken Putnam, my signature is a form of identification. Proof that it was me who certified the document. So with the fingerprint which identified the certifier.