Sri Lanka
Historical figures born in Sri Lanka
670 notable historical figures were born in Sri Lanka. These are the most notable:
Sri Lanka ranks #93 of 197 countries by number of historical figures on Histiphy, just behind Luxembourg, Afghanistan and Uganda.
By era
- Ancient: 1
- Early Modern: 1
- Modern: 37
By occupation
- Politician: 21
- Head of State/President: 9
- Diplomat: 9
- Lawyer: 7
- Minister/Cabinet Official: 6
- Prime Minister: 6
- Writer/Author: 5
- Singer/Musician: 4
- Anura Kumara Dissanayake (born 1968, Politics)
- Kumar Sangakkara (born 1977, Sports)
- Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916 to 2000, Politics)
- Mahinda Rajapaksa (born 1945, Politics)
- Ranil Wickremesinghe (born 1949, Politics)
- Harini Amarasuriya (born 1970, Politics)
- Michael Ondaatje (born 1943, Literature)
- Chandrika Kumaratunga (born 1945, Politics)
- Tony Hoare (1934 to 2026, Science)
- Gotabaya Rajapaksa (born 1949, Politics)
- Sonali Deraniyagala (born 1964, Science)
- Ranasinghe Premadasa (1924 to 1993, Politics)
- J. R. Jayewardene (1906 to 1996, Politics)
- Maithripala Sirisena (born 1951, Politics)
- Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877 to 1947, Science)
- S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike (1899 to 1959, Politics)
- St John Philby (1885 to 1960, Exploration)
- Kalaivani Rajaratnam (1968 to 1991, Other)
- D. S. Senanayake (1884 to 1952, Politics)
- Shehan Karunatilaka (born 1975, Literature)
- Sajith Premadasa (born 1967, Politics)
- William Gopallawa (1897 to 1981, Politics)
- Dinesh Gunawardena (born 1949, Politics)
- Lakshman Kadirgamar (1932 to 2005, Politics)
- Dudley Senanayake (1911 to 1973, Politics)
- Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (1916 to 2008, Politics)
- Arjun (singer) (born 1990, Arts & Music)
- John Kotelawala (1897 to 1980, Politics)
- Eric Shipton (1907 to 1977, Exploration)
- Chandra Wickramasinghe (born 1939, Science)
- Ananda Samarakoon (1911 to 1962, Arts & Music)
- Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (1933 to 2016, Politics)
- Anula of Anuradhapura (99 BC to 42 BC, Politics)
- Lalith Athulathmudali (1936 to 1993, Politics)
- Vimaladharmasuriya I (1550 to 1604, Politics)
- W. D. Amaradeva (1927 to 2016, Arts & Music)
- Minnette de Silva (1918 to 1998, Architecture)
- Indrani Perera (Arts & Music)
- Asha de Vos (born 1979, Science)
- Hamilton Wanasinghe (1933 to 2025, Military)
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