Timeline of Sri Lankan history

This is a timeline of Sri Lankan history, comprising important territorial changes and political & economic events in Sri Lanka and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Sri Lanka.

Centuries: 5th BCE · 4th BCE · 3rd BCE · 2nd BCE · 1st BCE · 1st · 2nd · 3rd · 4th · 5th · 6th · 7th · 8th · 9th · 10th · 11th · 12th · 13th · 14th · 15th · 16th · 17th · 18th · 19th · 20th · 21st

Historical periods: Prehistoric · Iron Age · Pre-Anuradhapura · Anuradhapura · Polonnaruwa · Transitional · Kandyan · British Ceylon · Since 1948

Prehistoric Sri Lanka

Year	Date	Event
300,000 - 500,000 BP		First human settlements in Sri Lanka^[1]

Iron Age (~1000 BCE–500 BCE)

Year	Date	Event
900 BCE		Archaeological evidence for the beginnings of the Iron Age in Sri Lanka is found at Anuradhapura, where a large city–settlement was founded before 900 BCE. The settlement was about 15 hectares in 900 BCE, but by 700 BC it had expanded to 50 hectares.^[2] A similar site from the same period has also been discovered near Aligala in Sigiriya.^[3]

6th century BCE

Year	Date	Event
~543 BCE		Vijaya, prince regent of Sinhabahu, the King of Vanga and Queen Sinhasivali, is exiled along with his 700 followers, from Sinhapura after he and his band of followers became notorious for their violent deeds. The wives and children of these 700 men were also sent on separate ships.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Pre-Anuradhapura period

6th century BCE

Year	Date	Event
543 BCE^{[note 1]}		Prince Vijaya had his followers landed at a place called Supparaka; the women landed at a place called Mahiladipaka, and the children landed at a place called Naggadipa. Vijaya's ship later reached Sri Lanka, on the North west coast of present-day Puttalam, on the day of the Parinibbaana of The Buddha.^[7]^[4]^[5]^[6]
543 BCE		The Kingdom of Tambapanni is established.
543 BC–505 BCE		During the reign of Vijaya, in addition to Tambapaṇṇī, the King and his ministers founded settlements like Anuraadhagaama, Upatissagāma, Ujjeni, Uruvelaa and Vijithapura located along the river banks of the Malwathu Oya and the Kala Oya in the northwestern region of Sri Lanka.^[8]
505 BCE		Prince Vijaya dies without a legitimate successor. Upatissa becomes regent while a successor is brought over from Sinhapura.^[8]
504 BCE		The nephew of Prince Vijaya, Panduvasdeva, succeeds him to the throne. He arrives one year after the death of Vijaya and brings with him 32 sons of ministers.^[8]

5th century BCE

Year	Date	Event
474 BCE		Panduvasdeva dies and is succeeded by his son Abhaya
~454 BCE		Prince Pandukabhaya, nephew of Abhaya, rebels and goes to war with his uncles. Abhaya, upon losing the battle sent a letter to the prince in secret conferring on him the rule of the country south of the river, sharing sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Hearing of this plan angered Abhaya's brothers, Pandukabhaya's uncles, compelled Abhaya to abdicate and elected Prince Tissa, the next in line, as regent.^[9]^[10]
454 BCE		Abhaya dies and is succeeded by his younger brother Prince Tissa.
454 BCE–437 BCE		Prince Tissa was not acknowledged universally as the Sinhalese king, remained as regent during the Nineteen Years' War (458–439 BC), which ended with the Battle of Labugamaka where with the aid of the Yakkhas and others, Pandukabhaya slew eight of his uncles who were against him.^[11]^[12]
437 BCE		Pandukabhaya takes the capital Upatissagāma and is crowned the new Sinhalese king.

Anuradhapura period

5th century BCE

Year	Date	Event
438 BC		Pandukabhaya proceeded to Anuraadhagaama where he builds it as the new capital of Sri Lanka, renaming it Anuradhapura.^{[note 2]}^[13]
400 BC		Abhaya Wewa built

4th century BCE

Year	Date	Event
377 BCE		Pandukabhaya dies and is succeeded by his son Mutasiva
307 BCE		Mutasiva dies and is succeeded by his son Devanampiya Tissa

3rd century BCE

Year	Date	Event
250 BCE		Theravada Buddhism is officially introduced to Sri Lanka by the Mahinda Thero, son of Ashoka, during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa.^[14]
250 BCE		Sanghamitta Therii, sister of Mahinda, arrived in Lanka with a branch of the Sacred Bo-Tree, which was planted in the Mahamevnāwa Uyana at Anuradhapura.^[15]
		The Thuparamaya, the first Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, was constructed after the arrival of Mahinda Thero.
267 BCE		Devanampiya Tissa dies and is succeeded by his brother Uttiya
255 BCE		Mahinda Thero passes away at the age of 80 in the eighth year of the reign of Uttiya.^[16]
256 BCE		Sanghamitta Therii passes away at the age of 79 in the ninth year of the reign of Uttiya.^[16]
257 BCE		Uttiya dies and is succeeded by his brother Mahasiva
247 BCE		Mahasiva dies and is succeeded by his brother Suratissa
237 BCE		South Indian invaders Sena and Guttika kill Suratissa and seize the Sinhalese throne.^[16]
215 BCE		Asela, son of Mutasiva, overthrows Sena and Guttika reclaiming the throne.^[16]
205 BCE		Elara, a Tamil prince from South India invades and ursurpes the throne from Asela, killing him in the process.

2nd century BCE

Year	Date	Event
161 BCE		Dutugamunu, a descendant of Mahanaga, Prince of Ruhuna brother of Asela, defeats and kills Elara at the Battle of Vijithapura and restores Sinhalese sovereignty.^[17]
140 BC		The Ruwanwelisaya (or Maha Thupa), the most celebrated stupa in Sri Lanka, is built by Dutugamunu and sends a monk to India to fetch relics to be enshrined in it.^[17]^[18]
		The Mirisawetiya Vihara stupa is built by Dutugamunu in Anuradhapura.^[17]
137 BCE		Dutugamunu dies and is succeeded by his brother Saddha Tissa
119 BCE		Saddha Tissa dies and is succeeded by his younger son Thulatthana, whose ascension was endorsed and supported as a result of the decision made by royal advisors and Buddhist monks.
119 BCE		One month and ten days after his ascension, Lanja Tissa usurps his younger brother Thulatthana and takes the throne upon hear of his succession.
109 BCE		Lanja Tissa dies and is succeeded by his brother Khallata Naga
103 BCE		Khallata Naga is assassinated by his own commander-in-chief, Kammaharattaka. However, Kammaharattaka's rule last only a day and is killed by Prince Vattagamini, the youngest brother of Khallata Naga. Prince Vattagamini ascends the throne as Valagamba.
103 BCE		Only five months into his regin Valagamba faced internal threats from a Brahman named Tiya (or Tissa) from Ruhuna, South Lanka and external threats from Tamil forces from South India. The Tamil army vanquished Tiya and defeated Valagamba in battle forcing him to flee into exile for fourteen years. The Five Dravidians seized and ruled the Sinhalese throne.
103 BCE–89 BCE		The fourteen years of rule of The Five Dravidians was disastrous for the country and its institutions. The Beminitiya Seya, an unprecedented famine during that period caused the rapid decline of Buddhism in the country with many thousands of monks and laymen dying of starvation.^[19]

1st century BCE

Year	Date	Event
89 BCE		After building and army during his 14 years in exile Valagamba launches a successful attack on Dathika, the last of the Five Dravidians defeating him and taking back control of the country.^[20]
		During the reign of Valagamba, after the experience of the Beminitiya Seya, the Tipitaka and its commentaries were committed to writing for the first time on palm leaves at the Aluvihare Rock Temple.^[21]
		During the reign of Valagamba, the first schism of the Buddhist Sangha occurred with the establishment of the Abhayagiri Vihāra, which broke away from the orthodox Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya.^[22]
76 BCE		Valagamba dies and is succeeded by his adopted son and nephew Mahakuli Mahatissa.

1st century

Year	Date	Event
29 BCE		According to the Sinhalese chronicles, the content of the Pali Canon is written down in the reign of Valagamba (29–17 BCE)^[23]

2nd century

Year	Date	Event
~113–135		Gajabahu I of the Anuradhapura kingdom, a contemporary of Chera Senguttuvan and Karikala Chola (the Gajabahu synchronism).

3rd century

Year	Date	Event

4th century

Year	Date	Event
~301–328		The Relic of the tooth of the Buddha is brought to Sri Lanka in the early 4th century durgin the reign of Sirimeghavanna (301–328)^[18]

5th century

Year	Date	Event
425–450		During the reign of Mahanama, Buddhaghosa Thera arrived from India to compile the Pali Commentaries (Atthakathaa) at the Mahaavihaara^[24]
497–515		The Sacred Hair Relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of Moggallana I.^[25]

6th century

Year	Date	Event

7th century

Year	Date	Event

8th century

Year	Date	Event

9th century

Year	Date	Event
840		Srimara Srivallabha invades the Anuradhapura kingdom and captures the northern provinces from Sena I.^[26]
853		Sena II starts construction on the Mihintale Hospital Complex, considered one of the oldest hospital ruins in the world and the oldest existing hospital ruins in Sri Lanka.
862		Sinhalese forces led by Sena II invade the Pandyan kingdom and sack Madurai. Srimara is killed in battle.

10th century

Year	Date	Event

11th century

Year	Date	Event
1017		Chola conquest and occupation of Anuradhapura: The Cholas under Rajendra I attack and conquer parts of the Anuradhapura kingdom.^[27] Cholas capture the crown, queen, daughter, and wealth of Mahinda V and take king himself as a prisoner to Tamil Nadu.
1017		The Sangha, and especially in Sri Lanka, the Bhikkhuni (Buddhist nuns) Order dies out due to invasions. The bhikkhu line in Sri Lanka is later revived with bhikkhus from Burma.
1029		Chola conquest and occupation of Anuradhapura: Mahinda V, the last king of Anuradhapura, dies in Chola captivity.

Polonnaruwa period

11th century

Year	Date	Event
1029-1041		Vikramabahu, the son of Mahinda V, launches a resistance movement against the Chola rule in Sri Lanka, but suddenly dies after contracting a disease in Rohana.
1049		A Sinhalese chieftain named Lokeshwara, temporarily defeats the Chola forces and establishes a military base in Ruhuna.
1054		Keshadhatu Kasyapa, a pretender to the Sinhalese throne, establishes a dominion in Eastern Ruhuna after driving away Chola forces, which would last until 1055.
1055		A fifteen-year-old Prince Kitti, belonging to a royal bloodline, annexes the domains of Lokeshwara and Keshadathu Kasyapa, uniting Ruhuna under his rule. Cholas are further pushed back from the South.
1070		Prince Kitti, who was given the title Vijayabahu, launches a seventeen-year campaign and successfully drives out the Cholas from Sri Lanka.
		Vijayabahu is crowned as the first king of Polonnaruwa.
		Vijayabahu I invites bhikkhus from Pagan to Polonnaruwa to reinstate the Theravada ordination line.
1084		Velakkara Revolt: Tamil mercenaries named Velakkaras, mutiny against king Vijayabahu as he declared war with the Chola Empire due to arresting a group of Sinhalese ambassadors sent to Western Chalukya.
1084–1112		In Myanmar, during the reign of Kyansittha, completes the building of the Shwezigon Pagoda, a shrine for relics of the Buddha, including a tooth brought from Sri Lanka. Various inscriptions refer to him as an incarnation of Vishnu, a chakravartin, a bodhisattva, and dharmaraja.

12th century

Year	Date	Event
1110		Vijayabahu I dies at the age of 71, and the instalment of Jayabahu I as his successor without passing the throne to Vijayabahu son Vikramabahu I causes a power struggle between the two rulers.
1157		A revolt led-by Queen Sugala of Ruhuna against the Parakramabahu I. The rebellion was suppressed by the army and the kingdom of Ruhuna was annexed as a part of Polonnaruwa in 1158.
1160		Ruhuna Rebellion
1164		With the guidance of two forest monks – Ven. Mahākassapa Thera and Ven. Sāriputta Thera, Parakramabahu I reunites all bhikkhus in Sri Lanka into the Mahavihara sect.
1165		Parakramabahu I unified the three Nikaayas (Mahaavihaara, Abhayagiri, and Jetavana) and purified the Sangha.^[28]
1168		Rajarata Rebellion
1171		Anawrahta of Pagan upon request of Vijayabahu I sends monks and scriptures to restart Buddhism in the Sri Lanka.
1190		Sithu II of Pagan realigns Burmese Buddhism with the Mahavihara school of Sri Lanka.

13th century

Year	Date	Event
1215		Kalinga Magha invades Sri Lanka leading to the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom resulting in the widespread destruction of monasteries and libraries.
1215		The Jaffna kingdom is established.
1236		Bhikkhus from Kanchipuram, India, arrive in Sri Lanka to revive the Theravada ordination line.
1236–1270		During his regin Parakramabahu II restored the Śāsana and oversaw a significant literary revival.^[29]

Transitional period

14th century

Year	Date	Event

15th century

Year	Date	Event
1447–50		Bhuvanaikabahu VI conquers the Jaffna kingdom, and is incoporated into the Kingdom of Kotte.
1467		The Jaffna kingdom regains independence from the kingdom of Kotte.
1469		The lands of the Kande uḍa pas raṭa (‘the five regions of the hill country’) succeed from the Kingdom of Kotte, led by Sēnasammata Vikramabāhu.^[30]
1469		Accession of Senasammata Vikramabahu as the first monarch of Kandy and reigns until 1511.^[30]^[31]
1476		Dhammazedi of Burma sent an embassy to Sri Lanka to obtain Higher Ordination, establishing the Kalyani Nikaya in Burma.^[32]

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1511		Senasammata Vikramabahu dies and is succeeded by his son Jayavira as the second monarch of Kandy. Bandara reigns until 1552.^[30]
1518		Vijayabahu VI, insulted with after being demanded by the Portuguese that he should sell to them the royal stockpile of cinnamon at a fixed low price, went to war in 1518.^[33]
1521		Vijayabahu VI went to war with the Portuguese again on the same issue 3 years later. Losing the war, the king was forced to negotiate for peace after severe losses to his army, further weaking the state.^[33]
		In an effort to enhace his and his supporter's power over the monarchy and the royal court, the Ekanayake of Kotte (head of the civil government), assisted by a noble named Kandure Bandara plotted to kill the three elder sons of Vijayabahu VI to ensure the succession of Vijayabahu's minor forth son, by a second queen, Dewarajasinha. The three Princes, Bhuvanekabahu, Pararajasinha and Mayadunne escape to other parts of the island to rally support, leading to the beginning of the Vijayabā Kollaya.^[31]^[34]^[35]
		Vijayabahu VI breaks a truce and attempts to assassinate the three princes as they enter the palace grounds. In retaliation the palace is sacked and Vijayabahu is put to death. The eldest rince Bhuvanekabahu is acclaimed the new king of Kotte while Pararajasinha and Mayadunne are installed as kings owing allegiance to their elder brother.^[34]^[35]
		Pararajasinha becomes the King of the newly established Kingdom of Raigama which is made up of roughly 660 villages in the Rayigam, Pasdun and Wallalawiti korales less the seaports.^[36] Mayadunne becomes the King of the Kingdom of Stawaka which included the Four Korales, Denawaka (or the Five Korales), half of Hewagam korale, Kuruwiti korale, Atulugam korale, Panawal korale, Handapandunu korale, Beligal korale, and Dehigampal korale. Bhuvanekabahu as the Kotte sovereign continued to be acknowledged as overlord by the kings of Raigama and Sitawaka.^[34]^[35]
		Weerasuriya or Pilasse Vidiye Bandara, a nephew of Vijayabahu VI and Manamperi, the king's equerry, start a rebeillion in the Hapitigam korale a short time after the accession of the three monarchs. According to Fernao de Queyroz, with the Ekanayake of Vijayabahu VI, Weerasuriya proclaimed himself King of Kotte. However Weerasuriya is executed promptly after a battle with the three brothers, marking the end of organized opposition to the new regime in Kotte.^[34]
~1537		In the last few years of his life Pararajasinha seems to have settled at Mapitigama in the Atulugam korale, of Sitawaka Kingdom, abandoning the Raigama government and leaving it to Mayadunne.^[37]^[35]
1538		Pararajasinha dies. The lands of the Kingdom of Raigama are taken over by the Sitawaka kingdom. Bhuvanekabahu does not contest this and in fact legitimised Mayadunne's annexation by presenting him a formal grant of Raigama.^[37]^[35]
1552		Karalliyadde Bandara, son of Jayavira Bandara, succeeded his father as King of Kandy and regined until 1582.^[30]
1560		Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom: The Portuguese invade and annex the Jaffna kingdom and take king Cankili II as a POW.
1582		The reigning monarch Karalliyadde Bandara dies. Kusumasana Devi, daughter of Karalliyadde Bandara, is installed as Queen, by the Portuguese, succeeding her father.^[30]
1582		Kusumasana Devi is deposed by Rajasinha I of Sitawaka beginning the Sitawaka occupation of Kandy.^[38]
1587	June	Rajasinha I attacks the Potugese in the Siege of Colombo (1587–1588). The Portuguese attack Kandy in retaliation.^[38]
1591		The Portuguese invade Jaffna and kill Puviraja Pandaram and set up Ethirimana Cinkam as a king.^[39]
1592		Nephew of Karalliyadde Bandara and heir to the Kandyan throne Yamasinghe Bandara, who fled to the Portuguese, is installed as King of Kandy by the Portuguese but dies soon after his installation.^[38]

Kandyan period

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1592		Konnapu Bandara, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese forces in Kandy turns on the Portuguese and kills Yamasinghe Bandara and ascends the throne as Vimaladharmasuriya I beginning the Kandyan period of Sri Lanka.^[40]^[38]
1592	1592–1604	Vimaladharmasuriya I restored higher ordination by obtaining monks from Arakan and brought the Tooth Relic to Kandy.^[41]
1593		Rajasinha I dies and the Kingdom of Sitawaka falls. The majority of its lands are taken over by the Kandyan kindom while parts are occupied by the Portuguese.^[39]
1594		The Kandyan Kingdom is invaded by the Portuguese Captain-general Pedro Lopes de Sousa, to reinstall Kusumasana Devi onto the throne.^[42]^[38]
1594	~October	Having defeated the Portuguese at Danture, Vimaladharmasuriya I marries Kusumasana Devi to establish a legal claim to the throne.^[39]
1597	27 May	Dharmapala of Kotte dies, donating the Kingdom of Kotte, and with it the overloardship of the island to the king of Portugal.^[39]

17th century

Year	Date	Event
1602	30 May	Dutch naval officer Joris van Spilbergen lands in Batticaloa with three ships after a 12-month voyage seeking to establish trade between the two nations. He is the first Dutch envoy to make contact with Sri Lanka. They discussed the possibility that in exchange for Dutch military assistance to expel the Portuguese from the coastal areas.^[43]
	3–5 June	van Spilbergen met with ruler of Batticaloa.^[44]
	July	van Spilbergen undertook a trip to the interior of Sri Lanka to meet the king of Kandy Vimaladharmasuriya I^[44]
	28 November	Sebald de Weert arrived two months after Spilbergen's departure, to follow through on implementing Spilbergen's negotiations.^[44]
1603		1st Kuruvita Rala Revolt and Kangara Arachchi Revolt
1604		Vimaladharmasuriya I dies and Senarat ascends the throne.^[39]
1612		Kusumasana Devi dies.^[39]
1612	11 March	Marcelis de Boshouwer , a Dutch merchant in the service of the East India Company, traveled to Kandy and concluded a new treaty of friendship there, with Senarat of Kandy, in which they agreed to support each other militarily against the Portuguese and in return the king granted the Dutch permission to construct a fortress, the right of unrestricted commerce, and a monopoly on cinnamon, pearls, and precious stones.^[45]^[46]
~1612		Senarat marries Sūriya Mahadassin, daughter of Vimaladharmasuriya I and Kusumasana Devi.^[39]
1615		Senarat sent de Boshouwer to Holland to obtain the long-promised Dutch support, however was denied as the VOC was preoccupied with the Dutch East Indies and the States-General with the Thirty Years' War. Boschouwer then presented himself at the Danish court as a representative of the “Emperor of Ceylon”.^[46]
	March	A three-tailed comet emerged, striking panic and anxiety across the nation. According to a Portuguese historian, the event was immediately succeeded by a widespread plague that struck down both humans and livestock. Furthermore, massive die-offs of fish left rotting bodies that severely contaminated the air.^[47]
	14 April	A powerful earthquake completely leveled the city of Colombo. The convulsion released suffocating sulfur vapors from the deep cracks, while widespread fires further intensified the devastation of that catastrophic night.^[47]
1616		Nikapitiye Bandara Revolt begins and lasts until 1617
1616		2nd Kuruvita Rala Revolt begins and lasts until 1619
1617		Sūriya Mahadassin dies.^[39]
~1617		Senarat marries Antanassin, daughter of Vimaladharmasuriya I and Kusumasana Devi.^[39]
1635		Senarat dies and Rajasinha II ascends the throne.^[39]
Unknown		During the reign of Rajasinha II, Kandy reaches the peak of its power.^[48]
Unknown		Rajasinha II revives the practice of securing brides from Madura.^[49]
1636		Rajasinha II formally requests the Dutch to help rid the island of the Portuguese.^[45]
1638	23 May	A Kandyan–Dutch alliance is formed with the signing of the Kandyan Treaty of 1638 (also known as the Westerwolt Treaty of 1638) in Batticaloa, between Rajasinha II and the VOC commander Adam Westerwolt, with the primary objective being the expulsion of the Portuguese from the island.^[45]^[50]
1640	13 March	The Dutch forces capture Galle.^[51]
1656	12 May	After a siege of seven months Dutch forces capture Colombo and it is made the seat of the Dutch Political Council.^[51]^[45]
1658	23 June	The Portuguese are driven away from Sri Lanka with the help of the Dutch.^[48]^[52]
1658		The establishment of Dutch power in the maritime provinces is complete.^[48]
1687		Rajasinha II dies and Vimaladharmasuriya II ascends the throne.^[48]

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1706		1706 Kandyan Embassy to Madura to look for a bride for the heir to the throne Vira Narendra Sinha.^[53]
1707	4 June	Vimaladharmasuriya II dies and Vira Narendra Sinha ascends the throne.^[48]
1730		1730–31 Dutch Embassy to Kandy
1731		1731–32 Dutch Embassy to Kandy^[54]
1736		German Johann Wolfgang Heydt, who is in the service of the VOC, accompanies Dutch ambassador to Kandy and produces sketches of the city and palace.^[54]
1739	13 May	Vira Narendra Sinha dies and Sri Vijaya Rajasinha ascends the throne.^[55]
1739		1739 Kandyan Embassy to Madura to look for a bride for the heir to the throne Sri Vijaya Rajasinha.^[56]
1747	21 April	Sri Vijaya Rajasinha marries another Madurai bride.^[57]
1747	11 August	Sri Vijaya Rajasinha dies and Kirti Sri Rajasinha ascends the throne.^[57]
1749		Kirti Sri Rajasinha marries the daughter if Nadukattu Sami Nayakkar.^[57]
1753	20 July	Under the patronage of Kirti Sri Raajasinha and the guidance of Velivita Sri Saranankara, Higher Ordination was re-established via an embassy from Siam (Thailand), founding the Siam Nikaya.^[58]^[59]
1762	5 May	The 1762 Pybus Embassy to Kandy is the first official connection between Kandyan Kindom and the British.^[54]
1770	3 January	Kirti Sri Rajasinha marries another South Indian bride.^[57]
1780		Prince Kannasamy, the future Sri Vikrama Rajasinha is born in Madurai.
1782	2 January	Kirti Sri Rajasinha dies and Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha ascends the throne.^[60]
1782		1782 Boyd Embassy to Kandy.^[61]
Unknown		At the request of Kirti Sri Rajasinha, the latter part of the Culavamsa, from 1326 onwards, was written by Tibbotuvāve Buddharakkhita, the chief incumbent of the Mavatta monastery.^[62]
1785	22 March	Sri Lankan born Burgher pioneer of Dutch democracy and republic leader Quint Ondaatje demands democracy in speech at Utrecht city hall.^[52]
1795		1795–96 Andrew Embassy to Kandy.^[61]
1796	15 February	Colombo is taken over by British Forces^[63]
1796	16 February	Dutch rule of Sri Lankan territory ends.^[51]
1798	26 July	Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha dies and Sri Vikrama Rajasinha ascends the throne.

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1800		1800 MacDowall Embassy to Kandy.^[61]
1803		First Kandyan War: British forces attack the Kingdom of Kandy after the King's Adigar Pilimatalawe defected.
1803	5 May	The Amarapura Nikāya was established by monks who obtained ordination in Burma.^[64]
1805		John D'Oyly is made the chief translator for the Kandyan government.^[65]
1815	10 January	The British Empire declares war on the Kingdom of Kandy.^[66]
	11 January	British troops enter the Kandyan territory.^[66]
	14 February	British Headquarters established in the city of Kandy.^[63]
	18 February	The King of Kandy Sri Vikrama Rajasinha is taken prisoner.^[63]

British Ceylon period

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1815	2 March	The Kingdom of Kandy is ceded to the British in an agreement signed between the Kandyan chiefs and the Governor of British occupied territory Sir Robert Brownrigg.^[67]
1815	5 March	Sri Vikrama Rajasinha losses his throne.
1817	October	The Kandyans rebel against British rule in the Great Rebellion of 1817–1818.
1832	30 January	Sri Vikrama Rajasinha dies in exile in Vellore Fort, South India.
1833	13 March	The final recommendations were officially instituted under a new Charter of Justice, which established the island's first Executive and Legislative Councils, among a list of other national reforms.
1834		The Kandyan administrative and social structure is dismantled.^[61]
1835	9 October	Royal College, the first government-run secondary school for boys is established with the name Hillstreet Academy in Colombo.^[52]
1848	26 July	A peasant uprising led by popular leaders Gongalegoda Banda and Puran Appu takes place against oppressive colonial tax policies, marking a crucial transition from feudal revolts to modern independence struggles.
1860		In Sri Lanka, against all expectations, the monastic and lay communities bring about a major revival in Buddhism, a movement that goes hand in hand with growing nationalism; the revival follows a period of persecution by foreign powers. Since then, Buddhism has flourished, and Sri Lankan monks and expatriate lay people have been prominent in spreading Theravada Buddhism in Asia, the West, and even in Africa.
1863	12 June	The Rāmañña Nikāya is established.^[64]
1871	27 March	The first ever scientific Census of Sri Lanka was conducted by the Registrar General's Office, making it the first of any country in South Asia. The census enumarated a population of 2,400,380 people.^[68]
1873	26–8 August	The Pānadurā Vādaya, a public debate where Mohottiwatte Gunaananda Thera defeated Christian adversaries, sparked a national Buddhist re-awakening.^[69]
1880		Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott became the first Westerners to receive the refuges and precepts, the ceremony by which one traditionally becomes a Buddhist; thus Blavatsky was the first Western woman to do so.^[70]
1881	26 February	P&O's SS Ceylon leaves Liverpool to begin the world's first round-the-world pleasure cruise.^[52]
1881	17 February	The 2nd national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 2,759,738 people.^[68]
1886	1 November	Ananda College, the first Buddhist school in Sri Lanka is established with 37 students.^[52]
1890		Spearheaded by local figures, organized efforts against alcohol consumption began in the Southern Province.
1891	26 February	The 3rd national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 3,007,789 people.^[68]

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1900	9 August	The Second Boer War prisoner-of-war camp is opened in Diyatalawa, housing thousands of captured Boers from South Africa.
1901	1 March	The 4th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 3,565,954 people.^[68]
1902
1903
1904		First continental European, Anton Walther Florus Gueth, was accepted into the Sangha as Ñāṇatiloka Bhikkhu. Ñāṇatiloka went on to become the father of western monks in Ceylon.
1905	1 August	The Northern line is completed with trains from Colombo arriving at Jaffna Railway Station.
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911	1 March	The 5th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 4,106,350 people.^[68]
1912		The German monk Nyanatiloka founded the first monastery for Western Theravada monks, the Island Hermitage, in Sri Lanka.
1913
1914
1915	28 May	Religious and cultural disputes over Buddhist processions near mosques escalates severely into riots due to a heavy-handed British military crackdown under martial law. Unrest ended on 8 August of that year. The event ultimately catalyzed the island's independence movement.
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921	18 March	The 6th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 4,497,854 people.^[68]
1922
1923
1924
1925	16 December	Radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka officially launched with Radio Ceylon, making it the very first radio broadcaster in Asia.
1926
1927	13 November	The commissioners for the Donoughmore Commission, a British parliamentary task force to set up a progressive new constitution for Sri Lanka, introducing universal adult suffrage and a unique executive committee system to foster power-sharing across ethnic lines, are appointed by Sydney Webb, the British Labour Secretary of State for the Colonies.
1928
1929
1930
1931	7 July	Donoughmore Commission: The resulting Donoughmore Constitution officially went into effect with the opening of the first State Council of Ceylon and established Universal suffrage. The adult franchise was extended to women above the age of 21, regardless of their educational status. At the time Sri Lanka became one of the first Asian countries to allow voting rights to women. The Donoughmore Constitution remained in place until 1947.
1931	26 February	The 7th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 5,306,863 people.^[68] Due to the global economic depression, this census was heavily restricted. A full census was only conducted for Colombo city, with a basic head count for the rest of the island.
1932
1933	11 November	The Suriya-Mal Movement, an Sri Lankan anti-imperialist and social welfare initiative raising money by selling local suriya flowers (sunflower) for Ceylonese ex-servicemen begins in protests to funds from British Poppy Day going exclusively to British veterans
1934	September	An initial uptick in malaria cases was first noticed at rural dispensaries in the latter half of September and spread further into October following heavy rains that disrupted a prolonged drought.
1935	18 December	The major Trotskyist political party Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded by Leslie Goonewardene, N. M. Perera, Colvin R. de Silva, Philip Gunawardena and Robert Gunawardena.^[52]
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942	5 April	Ceylon in World War II: Colombo is attacked by air in the Easter Sunday raid by the Imperial Japanese Navy in an effort to destroy the British Eastern Fleet located at that port.
	9 April	Ceylon in World War II: Trincomalee is attacked by air in a raid during the Indian Ocean raid by naval aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy in an effort to destroy the British Eastern Fleet located at that habour.
	8 May	Ceylon in World War II: Sri Lankan soldiers stationed in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands mutiny against British officers.
	1 July	The University of Ceylon was established on by the Ceylon University Ordinance No. 20 of 1942.
1943
1944		The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the first Sri Lankan Tamil political party, is founded by G. G. Ponnambalam.
1945	September	The final report of the Soulbury Commission, a constitutional reform initiative that drafted the framework for the island's eventual transition to independence, was published.
1946	19 March	The 8th national Census of Sri Lanka, originally scheduled for 1941, was delayed by five years due to the war. This census enumarates a population of 6,657,339 people.^[68]
1947
1948

Sri Lanka since 1948

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1948	4 February	The Sri Lankan people officially achieve independence from over 130 years of British colonial rule, transitioning into the self-governing Dominion of Ceylon within the British Commonwealth.
1948	15 November	The Ceylon Citizenship Act is passed in parliarment, the first foundational law determining citizenship in newly independent Sri Lanka. It established citizenship by descent and registration, but controversially excluded large numbers of Indian Tamil plantation workers, rendering them stateless.
1949	24 August	The Gal Oya Multipurpose Scheme, a landmark agricultural and river valley development project is initiated to harness the Gal Oya River in the Eastern Province. It aimed to achieve food security and resettle over 250,000 landless people from the wet zone into the underdeveloped dry zone.
1949	18 December	A group of three Sri Lankan Tamil politicians, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, C. Vanniasingam and Senator E. M. V. Naganathan, split from the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) to form the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK).
1950	January	The Colombo Plan is established as a regional intergovernmental organization to boost economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. Centered on the concepts of self-help and mutual assistance, it operates through partnerships to enhance human capital and technical cooperation
	25 May	World Fellowship of Buddhists is founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
	28 August	Central Bank of Sri Lanka is established.
1951	2 March	The Sri Lanka Air Force is founded as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF), the aerial defense branch of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.
1951	July	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike leaves the United National Party (UNP) to form the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
1952	18 December	A landmark trade deal with China, the Rubber-Rice Pact, is signed.
1953	20 March	The 9th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 8,097,845 people.^[68] The census was delayed until 1953 due to a severe global shortage of paper.
1953	12–13 August	A nation-wide demonstration of civil disobedience and strike, was held organized to protest against the policies and actions of the incumbent United National Party government.
1954	10 April	Elizabeth II visits Sri Lanka. Her second visit was in October 1981 to celebrate 50 years of universal adult franchise
1955	14 December	Sri Lanka is officially admitted as a member state of the United Nations under Resolution 109.
1956	5 April	The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), led by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike wins the general elections in a landslide.^[52]
	23 May	The 2500th Buddha Jayanti (anniversary of the Buddha's Parinibbaana) was celebrated, ushering in a period of significant religious activity and government support.^[71]
	7 July	The Official Language Act (No. 33 of 1956), also known as the Sinhala Only Act is passed by the Parliament of Ceylon.^[72] The act replaced English with Sinhala as the sole official language of Ceylon, with the controversial exclusion of Tamil.
	28 December	Lester James Peries' masterpiece Rekava premieres.
1957	1 November	The British Royal Navy officially hands over the strategic naval base of Trincomalee and Katunayake air base to the Sri Lankan Government, after Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike requested the removal of all British service personnel from the island.
1958	22 May	Deteriorating relations between government policies and the Sri Lankan Tamils erupt into island-wide Riots.^[52]
	26 May	An declaration of emergency is proclaimed as the riots intensify.^[52]
	August	The Sinhala Only Act is amended and the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act of 1958 is passed in Ceylon, thus making Tamil an official language of Ceylon.
1959	18 February	Under the Universities Act, Vidyodaya Pirivena is formally reconstituted as the Vidyodaya University (now the University of Sri Jayewardenepura).
1959	25 September	Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike is assassinated while meeting the public at his private residence.
1960	21 July	Sirimavo Bandaranaike, wife of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, becomes the world's first elected female head of government, as Prime Minister.^[52]
1960	December	The government took over private Buddhist and Christian schools to ensure a national system of education.^[73]
1961	1 July	The People's Bank of Ceylon is officially established under Act No. 29 of 1961.
1961	29 May	The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is founded with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Act No. 28 of 1961.
1962	27 January	A group of Christian officers in the military and police planned to topple the government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike
1963	8 July	The 10th national Census of Sri Lanka, originally scheduled for 1961 was pushed back two years as it faced faced administrative obstacles, enumarates a population of 10,582,064 people.^[68]
1964	30 October	The Sirima–Shastri Pact a bilateral agreement between Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri is signed. It aimed to resolve the citizenship status of nearly 1 million stateless Tamils of Indian origin who were brought to Sri Lanka to work on plantations while under British occupation.
1965		The United National Party led by Dudley Senanayake wins the 1965 Ceylonese parliamentary election, with Senanayake becoming Prime Minister.
1965	14 May	The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is established.
1966	6 January	The Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act No. 28 of 1958 was passed to allow for the use of the Tamil language in administration, education, and public service exams
	May	The World Buddhist Sangha Council is convened by Theravadins in Sri Lanka with the hope of bridging differences and working together. The first convention is attended by leading monks from many countries and sects, Mahayana as well as Theravada. Nine Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana are written by Ven. Walpola Rahula are approved unanimously.
	2 May	The Ceylon Tourist Board, now the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, was created by the Ceylon Tourist Board Act No. 10 of 1966.
	7 July	Major General Richard Udugama, Commander of the Army was detained under emergency regulations and suspended from command in the 1966 alleged Ceylonese coup attempt.
	December	The four Poya days were officially made weekend holidays.^[73]
1967	5 January	Radio Ceylon transitioned into a public corporation named the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation
1968		The United Front is founded as a socialist republican political alliance, a coalition formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), and the Communist Party of Ceylon.
1968	15 September	The Federal Party (ITAK) resigns from Dudley Senanayake's cabinet and the eventual exit of the party from the ruling coalition.
1969	6 June	The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is established, replacing the old government department and initiating a massive, coordinated masterplan to expand stable electricity grids to rural, off-grid communities.
1970	27 May	The Sri Lanka Freedom Party led United Front alliance wins the 1970 Ceylonese parliamentary elections in a landslide victory with SLFP leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike becoming Prime Minister.
1971	March	The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka commences operations in Ratmalana. Developed with Japanese assistance, the facility allows Sri Lanka to manufacture its own high-quality, essential, and affordable generic drugs.
	5 April	1971 JVP insurrection: Marxist insurrection conducted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna against the government of Sri Lanka.^[52]
	9 October	The 11th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 12,689,897 people.^[68]
	11 October	The Indian Ocean Zone of Peace (IOZP) is a landmark diplomatic initiative led by Sri Lanka to prevent the militarization of the region by global powers. It aimed to denuclearize the ocean, eliminate military bases, and protect the maritime environments of developing coastal states
		The Policy of standardisation, an affirmative action and university admissions system, is introduced by the government.
1972	22 May	Sri Lanka becomes a republic, and country's name Ceylon is changed to Sri Lanka with the ratification of the Sri Lankan Constitution of 1972.^[52]
1972	22 May	Sri Lankan civil war: Velupillai Prabhakaran founds the Tamil New Tigers, which would later be renamed as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1976, a Sri Lankan Tamil militant group which advocated for the creation of an independent state of Tamil Eelam in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
1973	23 July	The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited is Nationalised by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s United Front government, primarily targeting the press and privately held plantations to centralize the economy and eliminate foreign influence.
1974	26-28 June	Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement, officially recognizing Sri Lanka's sovereignty over the small, strategically located island of Kachchatheevu in the Palk Strait.
1975	7 June	The Sri Lanka national cricket team plays its first-ever official One Day International match at the inaugural Cricket World Cup.
1976	16–19 August	Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike presides over the gathering of leaders from over 80 nations at the 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Colombo.
1977	15 November	The Katunayake Free Trade Zone is established becoming the first country in South Asia to liberalize its economy, driving export-oriented Foreign Direct Investment.
1977	21 July	J. R. Jayewardene wins a landslide victory and introduces "Open Economy" policies, shifting the country toward market liberalization.
1978	31 August	A new Constitution is adopted.^[52] The Executive Presidency established.
1979	1 September	Air Lanka, now SriLankan Airlines is officially incorporated as the country's new flag carrier.
1980	July	The 1980 General Strike was initiated to demand a Rs. 300 monthly wage increase, it was brutally crushed by President J.R. Jayewardene's administration, resulting in the mass dismissal of 40,356 state and private sector employees.
1981	17 March	The 12th national Census of Sri Lanka, the last fully nationwide count for three decades, enumarates a population of 14,846,750 people.^[68]
	31 May	The Jaffna Public Library is set alight by mobs, resulting in the loss of over 95,000 unique manuscripts and books.
	21 July	The Sri Lanka national cricket team was admitted by the ICC as a full member, becoming the eighth Test playing nation.
1982	13–17 December	The Sacred City of Anuradhapura, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa and the Ancient City of Sigiriya are officially designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[74]
1982	15 February	The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation begins its transmission, beginning national public television broadcasting in the country.
1983	24–30 July	Sri Lankan civil war: Triggered by a LTTE ambush on 13 soldiers, anti-Tamil rioting begins in the capital and spreads to other parts of the country. This event is widely considered the beginning of the Sri Lankan civil war.
1984	6 March	Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
1985	8–13 July	Mediated by the Indian government, round one of the Thimphu Talks were held in Bhutan to resolve the escalating Sinhala-Tamil ethnic conflict. They marked the first time the Sri Lankan government and Tamil militant organizations sat at the negotiating table. Round two was held from 12–17 August.
1986	3 May	Air Lanka Flight 512
1987	15 April	The 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, an armed revolt led by the Marxist–Leninist group begins against the government.
1987	29 July	Sri Lankan civil war: Signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord, leading to the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and the creation of Provincial Councils.
1988	5–9 December	The Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications, the Sacred City of Kandy and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is officially designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
1989	8 February	The Sri Dalada Maligawa is attacked by the armed cadres affiliated to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
1989	October	The "Gami Pubuduwa" (Village Reawakening) rural micro-finance scheme was launched by the Hatton National Bank, empowering hundreds of thousands of rural entrepreneurs and small businesses with credit.
1990	10 June	Sri Lankan civil war: Eelam War II, the second phase of the Sri Lankan civil war begins after the breakdown of peace talks.
	October	The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forcibly expelled an estimated 72,000-75,000 Muslims from the Northern Province in an act widely recognized as ethnic cleansing. The mass eviction occurred over several weeks, devastating the community and permanently altering the region's demographics.
	December	Sri Lanka emerged as the world's largest tea exporter.^[75]
1991	21 May	Sri Lankan civil war: Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated by a female suicide bomber belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, killing Gandhi and 14 others.
	22 December	Colombo hosts the 1991 South Asian Games for the second time.
	9–13 December	The Dambulla cave temple is officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1992	16 November	Sri Lankan civil war: Vice Admiral Clancy Fernando, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy is assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber becoming the highest-ranking military officer ever killed in action during the Sri Lankan civil war.
1993	1 May	Sri Lankan civil war: President Ranasinghe Premadasa is assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber who detonated an explosive belt during a United National Party May Day rally in central Colombo.
1994	16 August	The People's Alliance wins the 1994 Sri Lankan parliamentary election with party leader Chandrika Kumaratunga becoming the new Prime Minister.
1994	9 November	Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga is elected President in a landslide victory, receiving 62% of the vote and becoming the first Sri Lankan female President. The election marked the end of 17 years of United National Party rule in Sri Lanka.
1995	January	Sri Lankan civil war: Eelam War II ends following a ceasefire agreement and the start of peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the newly elected government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
	19 April	Sri Lankan civil war: Peace talks between the government and the LTTE end and Eelam War III, the third phase of the Sri Lankan civil war begins after the LTTE Bombing of SLNS Sooraya and SLNS Ranasuru.
	5 December	Sri Lankan civil war: In a major military offensive launched by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, the city of Jaffna is successfully captured from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) marking a major turning point in the Sri Lankan civil war, ending five years of rebel control.
1996		A Bhikkhuni (Buddhist nuns) Order and lineage is revived in Sarnath, India through the efforts of Sakyadhita, an International Buddhist Women Association. The revival is done with some resistance from some of the more literal interpreters of the Buddhist Vinaya (monastic code) and lauded by others in the community.
	31 January	Sri Lankan civil war: A suicide truck bomb orchestrated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) target the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in an bombing that kills 91 people, injures 1,400 others, and causes catastrophic destruction to the capital's financial district.
	17 March	Sri Lanka wins the 1996 Cricket World Cup, defeating Australia by 7 wickets in the final at Lahore, Pakistan.
1997	15 October	Sri Lankan civil war: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam bomb the Galadari Hotel and the World Trade Center in Colombo.
1997	8 October	Sri Lankan civil war: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was officially proscribed internationally when the U.S. Department of State designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
1998	25 January	Sri Lankan civil war: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists commit a deadly suicide attack on Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist site and a UNESCO World Heritage centre: the Sri Dalada Maligawa, where Buddha's tooth relic is enshrined. Eight civilians are killed and 25 others are injured and significant damage is done to the temple structure, which was first constructed in 1592.
1999	18 December	Sri Lankan civil war: Attempted assassination of Chandrika Kumaratunga

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2000	23 April	The Sri Lankan government loses control of the strategic isthmus and the military Base at Elephant Pass in the Second Battle of Elephant Pass.^[76]
	8 August	President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance government abandon and indefinitely postpone the proposed draft constitution after. The Sri Lankan constitutional reform attempt of 2000 was a major legislative effort to replace the 1978 Constitution. It proposed transitioning from a unitary to a federal system to resolve the civil war with Tamil separatists, but ultimately failed in parliament due to political infighting and not being abe to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament.^[77]
	28 September	Sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe wins the silver medal in the Women's 200 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney Australia, winning Sri Lanka's second ever Olympic medal.
2001	17 July	The originally scheduled 1991 census was cancelled entirely due to the conflict. When a census was finally attempted in 2001, it was incomplete, failing to cover areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The 13th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates an estimated population of 18,797,257 people.^[68]
	24 July	The Bandaranaike International Airport and the adjoing SLAF Katunayake Air Force base is attacked by suicide bombers of the Black Tigers. The strike crippled national infrastructure and severely damaged the country's economy.^[78]
	14 November	The 17th Amendment to the Constitution passes enabling the creation of the Constitutional Council a federal oversight body designed to depoliticize public service and restrain executive overreach.^[79]
	31 December	Driven by a series of compounding crises nationally and internationally throughout the year, the Bandaranaike Airport attack, the September 11 attacks and the collapse of the government in December, Sri Lanka recorded negative GDP growth first time since gaining independence in 1948.
2002	22 February	A Ceasefire Agreement mediated by Norway was formally signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. This agreement ended major offensive military operations and established the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, which was composed of representatives from Nordic countries, to oversee the truce
2003	28 February	Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni became the first American-born woman to gain bhikkhuni ordination in the Theravada school in Sri Lanka.^[80]^[81]^[82]
2003	9–10 June	The Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka was held in Tokyo, Japan. International donors—including Japan, the US, the EU, and various multilateral organizations—pledged over $4.5 billion in aid to help rebuild the island following two decades of civil war.^[83]
2004	3 March	Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (widely known as "Colonel Karuna"), LTTE's military leader for the East, split from the LTTE, defecting with an estimated 6,000 fighters over alleged differences with leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. The break triggered internal violence but severely weakened the LTTE, ultimately leading Karuna to enter mainstream Sri Lankan politics
	April	Buddhist monks candidates for the Jathika Hela Urumaya party win nine seats in elections.
	8 May	Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan becomes the world's Leading wicket-taker dismissing Zimbabwe's Mluleki Nkala in Harare to claim his 520th Test wicket, officially surpassing Courtney Walsh.^[84]
	26 December	A massive magnitude-9.1 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia triggers an earthquake and tsunami which hits Sri Lanka without warning, becoming the deadliest natural disaster in the country's history causing over 35,000 deaths.
2005	12 August	Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by a LTTE sniper, shot as he emerged from a swimming pool at his private residence in Colombo. A state of emergency is declared in the country as the assassination destabilized the fragile 2002 peace process.^[85]
2005	26 May	Master composer Premasiri Khemadasa premieres his masterwork the Opera Agni (The Fire) at the Lionel Wendt Theater in Colombo.
2006	20 July	the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru in the Trincomalee district, depriving Tamil and Muslim farming communities downstream of life-sustaining water.
2006	26 July	Eelam War IV begins as a result of the closure of Mavil Aru.
2007	3 December	Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan dismisses Paul Collingwood in Kandy to take his 709th Test wicket, permanently surpassing Shane Warne as the most successful Test bowler of all time.
2008	6 July	Sri Lanka wins the Asia Cup cricket tournament in Karachi, Pakistan, defeating India by 100 runs in the final.
2009	17 May	The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam conceded defeat and announced their plan to surrender.^[86]
	18 May	The conclusion of the war drew heavy international scrutiny, with a UN Panel of Experts finding credible evidence that both the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, especially during the final stages.
	18 May	LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, his intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Soosai, the head of the LTTE naval wing, were killed in an ambush with the Sri Lankan military during an intense, multi-hour firefight while attempting to escape the war zone in an ambulance.
	19 May	The Sri Lankan government declares an end to the Sri Lankan civil war following a sweeping military victory by government forces over the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The final, intense phase of the 26-year conflict culminated in the northern coastal village of Mullivaikkal, where the LTTE's leadership was defeated
2010		In Northern California, 4 novice nuns were given the full bhikkhuni ordination in the Thai Theravada tradition, which included the double ordination ceremony. Bhante Gunaratana and other monks and nuns were in attendance. It was the first such ordination ever in the Western hemisphere.^[87] The following month, more bhikkhuni ordinations were completed in Southern California, led by Walpola Piyananda and other monks and nuns. The bhikkhunis ordained in Southern California were Lakshapathiye Samadhi (born in Sri Lanka), Cariyapanna, Susila, Sammasati (all three born in Vietnam), and Uttamanyana (born in Myanmar).^[88]
2010	22 July	On his final delivery of his Test career, Muttiah Muralitharan dismisses Pragyan Ojha to reach a milestone of 800 Test wickets, a world record that remains unbroken.
2011	27 November	Sri Lanka inaugurates the Southern Expressway, the country's first-ever access-controlled toll highway, linking the capital with the southern coast while reducing travel times.
2012	20 March	The 14th national Census of Sri Lanka was the first complete island-wide count in 31 years following the end of the civil war. It enumarated a population of 20,359,439 people.^[68]
2012	27 November	Sri Lanka successfully launches its first communication satellite, SupremeSAT-1, into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
2013	15–17 November	The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Colombo.
2013	21 September	Provincial Council elections are held, including in the Northern Province for the first time in 25 years.
2014	6 April	Sri Lanka wins the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh, defeating India by 6 wickets in the final.
2015	9 January	Senior figures from the Sirisena campaign alleged that, as initial vote counts made it clear he was losing, Mahinda Rajapaksa attempted to stage a coup d'état to remain in power.
2016	5 September	The World Health Organization certifies Sri Lanka as malaria-free, making the country one of the first in the region to eliminate the disease.
2017	9 December	The Sri Lankan government gave China Merchants Ports a controlling equity stake and a 99-year lease for the Hambantota International Port after it is unable to repay its debt to the Chinese government.^[89]
2018	26 October	President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe starting a 52-day constitutional crisis. Sirisena illegally replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
2019	21 April	Bombing of several churches and hotels by Islamic militants causing 269 deaths
2019	21 April	Beginning of the Sri Lankan economic crisis (2019–2024)
2020	25 January	The first reported case of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka was identified and the victim was reported to be a Chinese woman.^[90]
	28 June	Former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan is named as the Most Valuable Test Player of the 21st Century by the Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine.^[91]
	5 August	The 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections were held. The incumbent Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance (led by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) won a landslide victory, claiming 145 seats and winning a two-thirds majority in the Parliament of Sri Lanka.^[92]
	11 August	2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election: Mahinda Rajapaksa is officially sworn in as the 13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at Temple Trees.^[93]
2021	5 April	Driven by foreign exchange shortages, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa orders the immediately suspension palm oil imports to Sri Lanka to push for organic farming. This decision backfired drastically, causing widespread crop failures, soaring food inflation, and critical shortages of essential goods.^[94]
	30 August	Dinesh Priyantha Herath clinches a historic gold medal for Sri Lanka in the men's javelin throw F46 category with a new world record of 67.79 m,^[95]^[96]^[97] claiming Sri Lanka's first ever paralympic gold medal and also securing Sri Lanka's first medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
	6 December	Total number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka exceeds 14,500 with 21 more deaths.^[98]
	15 December	Sri Lanka's traditional craftsmanship of making "Dumbara Ratā Kalāla" (Dumbara Weaving) is recognized by the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.^[99]
2022	15 March	Aragalaya: Protests erupt against the government's mishandling of the economic crisis
	31 March	Aragalaya: Hundreds of protesters storm the residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Mirihana to protest against the government's poor handling of the economy, leading to shortages of fuel and power cuts that had reached over 12-hours a day.^[100]
	1 April	Aragalaya: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares a State of Emergency in Sri Lanka, in effect from 1 April 2022.^[101]
	3 April	Aragalaya: All 26 cabinet ministers resign en masse except for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.^[102]
	7 April	Aragalaya: Nandalal Weerasinghe is appointed as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.^[103]
	9 April	Aragalaya: Tens of thousands of anti-government protestors occupy Galle Face Green in Colombo, in one of the largest street protests in the country's history, and rename the protesting area as "Gotagogama".
	11 April	Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera wins the award for Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, for his performance as the main protagonist in the West-End play 'Life of Pi'.^[104]^[105]^[106]
	25 April	Yupun Abeykoon sets a new Asian record in the 150 meters men's event at an athletic meet held in Italy, where the sprinter clocked a time of 15.16 seconds to finish first place in the race.^[107]
	9 May	Aragalaya: Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns from his post as Prime Minister amidst violent clashes and the worsening economic crisis.^[108] Rajapaksa loyalists stage a violent assault against anti-government protesters at the GotaGoGama protest site.
	12 May	Aragalaya: Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as the new Prime Minister.^[109] Saman Ekanayake is appointed as the secretary to Prime Minister.^[110]
	13 June	The government officially lifts the colonial-era ban on the traditional, indigenous martial art of Angampora, restoring national pride, preserving heritage, and promoting cultural arts.^[111]
	21 June	Sri Lankan economic crisis (2019–2024): The overall rate of inflation as measured by the National Consumer Price Index on Year-on-Year basis reaches a record high of 45.3% in May 2022.^[112]
	9 July	Aragalaya: Hundreds of thousands of protesters breach the President's official residence and set fire to the Prime Minister's private residence in Colombo.^[113]^[114] Protesters claimed they would occupy the President's House until both the President and Prime Minister resign. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announces he will resign on 13 July and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announces his intention to resign once a new all-party government is formed.
	13 July	Aragalaya: Despite his initial announcement, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa does not resign on the 13th as originally pledged. Instead Rajapaksa flees the country via military aircraft for the Maldives^[115]^[116] and appoints Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Acting President to exercise Presidential duties during his absence.^[117] In reaction to this appointment, protesters storm the office of the Prime Minister demanding Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe's resignation.^[118]^[119] In the evening, protesters reportedly attempted to breach the police barricades placed along the road leading to the Parliament.^[120]^[121] Wickremesinghe declared an island wide curfew until 5:00 am the next day.
	14 July	Aragalaya: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emails his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Parliament after fleeing to Singapore, officially ending his presidency.^[122]
	20 July	Aragalaya: Ranil Wickremesinghe is elected as President of Sri Lanka by the Parliament,^[123] following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.^[124] The following day, Wickremesinghe is sworn in as the 9th President of Sri Lanka.^[125]
	22 July	Aragalaya: Dinesh Gunawardena is sworn as the new prime minister of Sri Lanka,^[126] and a new cabinet consisting of 18 ministers is appointed by the president.^[127]
	10 August	Aragalaya: Protesters vacate Galle Face Green and Gotagogama, after occupying the premises for 124 days.^[128]
	2 September	Aragalaya: Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka after a 52-day self-exile.^[129]
	17 October	Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka wins the 2022 Booker Prize for his novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. He is the second Sri Lankan to win the prize.
	21 October	The 21st Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is passed, with two-thirds of the Parliament voting in favour.^[130]^[131]
	14 November	Protests of the Aragalaya ends.
2023	4 June	Sri Lanka is unanimously elected as a vice president of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly which will assume the relevant position for the Asia Pacific region from September 2023 to September 2024.^[132]
	27 June	The Mahāvaṃsa is listed among the 64 new items of documentary heritage inscribed on the UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register in 2023.^[133]
	29 July	President of France Emmanuel Macron visits Sri Lanka during a series of visits to the South Pacific Region. It is the first instance in history where a French president has visited the country.^[134]
2024	24 February	Red Sea crisis: The Sri Lanka Navy confirms that one of its ships has completed its maiden patrol in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and is set to return to the country.^[135] The vessel is later revealed to be SLNS Gajabahu and the Sri Lankan government confirms that patrols would continue.^[136]^[137]
	16 July	Sri Lankan-born award-winning celebrity baker Tharshan Selvarajah becomes the first Sri Lankan to carry the Olympic Torch, carrying it out at the 2024 Paris Olympics.^[138]
	3 September	2024 Summer Paralympics: Dulan Kodithuwakku wins Silver in the Men's Javelin Throw (F64) event with a personal best distance of 67.03 meters and also broke his own previous World Record (66.49m) in the process in the F44 category.^[139]
	21 September	2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: Over 17 million voters elect a new president. NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake wins a plurality of the vote with 42.31%, followed by Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa with 32.76%. No candidate wins a majority in the first round, forcing a second round of vote counting for the first time in Sri Lanka's history.^[140]
	22 September	2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: The second round concludes, with NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake being declared as president-elect of Sri Lanka. Dissanayake receives 55.89% of votes, defeating Sajith Premadasa with 44.11%.^[141]
	23 September	Anura Kumara Dissanayake is inaugurated as the 10th President of Sri Lanka.^[142]
	24 September	President Dissanayake appoints MP Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and swears in a new three-member cabinet. Amarasuriya is the third woman to hold the position.^[143]^[144] President Dissanayake dissolves the current Parliament of Sri Lanka and calls for snap parliamentary elections in November 2024.^[145]^[146]^[147]
	14 November	2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election: The ruling National People's Power wins in a landslide victory, winning 61.56% of the popular vote and securing 159 seats, the most seats won by a single party in an election. The NPP becomes the first party to win a supermajority in parliament since 1977 and the first non-Tamil party to win the Jaffna district.^[148]^[149]
	19 December	Delayed from its planned 2021 date by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 15th national census officially commenced in late 2023 and concluded its data collection in early 2024. The 15th national Census of Sri Lanka enumarates a population of 21,781,800 people.^[68]
2025	10 April	The Vasavilan–Palaly road is officially reopened to the public, after being closed for 34 years due to the Sri Lankan civil war.^[150]
	18 April	A special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, titled “Siri Dalada Wandanawa”, begins at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. The exposition would go on for 10 days.^[151]
	27 July	Padman Surasena is appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka by President Dissanayake with the consent of the Constitutional Council.^[152]
	8 August	Yevan David signs with AIX Racing to compete in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship, becoming the first Sri Lankan to compete in the series.^[153]^[154]
	26–30 November	Cyclone Ditwah causes severe devastation across Sri Lanka, with heavy rainfall triggering flooding and landslides that leave at least 639 people dead and 203 missing.^[155]
	11 December	The Sri Lankan kithul tapping industry is officially inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.^[156]^[157]
2026	5 February	Samudika Jayarathna is appointed as the 42nd Auditor General of Sri Lanka, becoming the first woman to hold the post.^[158]
2026	4 March	A United States Navy submarine sinks the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena, approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, outside the territorial waters but within the exclusive economic zone, in an event related to the 2026 Iran war. The Sri Lanka Navy rescues 32 survivors from the crew of 180 and recover 87 bodies, with about 60 sailors still unaccounted for.^[159]^[160] The submarine which was involved in the engagement is later identified as USS Charlotte.^[161]

Notes

or 483 BCE
After one of Vijaya's ministers and Pandukabhaya's own great-uncle who both resided there and where both named Anuradha.

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Sri Lankan History Timeline