Sir William Herschel is famous for his important work in studying the stars and planets, but he did more than just that. One of his biggest achievements was finding a way to use fingerprints for identifying people.
He was born on November 15, 1833, in a town called Slough in England. His family loved learning and exploring new things. Following in his father's footsteps, who was also a famous astronomer named Sir John Herschel, William was curious about nature and wanted to make his own mark in the world of science.
In 1851, William Herschel joined the Indian Civil Service, which was an important job. He worked as a Magistrate in a place called Jungipoor, (which is now known as Junagadh), in British India. It was during this time that he got a chance to discover the potential of fingerprints for identifying people.
On this day 28th July 1858 Herschel saw something interesting. When people signed contracts and documents, they used their fingerprints instead of signatures. They believed that fingerprints were special and could show who they were.
Herschel found this practice fascinating and realised that fingerprints could be a powerful way to tell people apart. Unlike signatures that could be copied, each person's fingerprints were unique and different from anyone else's. This was a huge discovery, and Herschel started keeping records of fingerprints to use them for identifying people.
His work with fingerprints laid the foundation for the science of fingerprint identification that we use today. He collected and studied thousands of fingerprints, knowing that they were special and could never be copied. He even called them "nature's unforgeable signature." He mainly used fingerprints to prevent people from pretending to be someone else in official documents and pension claims.
Although Herschel knew how important fingerprints were, it took some time for people to realise their value in solving crimes and helping the police. As time went on, experts learned more about fingerprints, and now they play a big role in forensic science.
Herschel's groundbreaking work with fingerprints showed how much we can discover when we pay attention to the small details. His efforts helped make the world a safer place, and fingerprints are now a crucial part of how we solve crimes and identify people.
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