Question: who is credited with developing the first classification system for fingerprints
Answer: In roughly 1859 , Sir William James Herschel discovered that fingerprints remain stable over time and are unique across individuals ; as Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in Jungipoor , India , in 1877 he was the first to institute the use of fingerprints and handprints as a means of identification , signing legal documents , and authenticating transactions .