The following lists notable events that took place during 1948 in Sri Lanka. 1948 saw Sri Lanka, then known as British Ceylon, regain its independence from the British Empire, thus establishing the Dominion of Ceylon.
Incumbents British Ceylon (until 4 February)
Dominion of Ceylon (from 4 February)
Events February 4 February – British Ceylon is disestablished as Sri Lanka gains its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. 23 February – The film Kapati Arakshakaya is released.
March 19 March – The Australian cricket team stops by in Ceylon, en route to England during their 1948 tour of England, where they played a one-day single-innings match—not limited overs—against the Ceylon national team at the Colombo Oval.
May 22 May – The film Divya Premaya is released.
June 4 July – Several Ceylonese individuals are included in the list of British 1948 Birthday Honours.
July 29 July–14 August – Ceylon competes in the 1948 Summer Olympics for the first time in London, sending 7 athletes. 31 July – Ceylonese athlete Duncan White wins the silver medal in the Men's 400 metres hurdles, becoming the first Ceylonese athlete to win an Olympic medal.
August 20 August – The controversial Ceylon Citizenship Act is passed in parliarment.Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999 , International Centre for Ethnic Studies
November 15 November – The Ceylon Citizenship Act becomes law, qualifying only about 5,000 Indian Tamils for citizenship. More than 700,000 people, about 11% of the population, are denied citizenship and rendered stateless.Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka: Time Line - From Independence to 1999 , International Centre for Ethnic Studies
December 3 December – The film Veradunu Kurumanama is released.
Births
February 2 February – Lakshman Kiriella, lawyer, politician 21 February – Sumana Amarasinghe, actress (d. 2022)
April 13 April – Arul Pragasam, activist, rebel (d. 2019) 24 April – Gangodawila Soma Thero, Buddhist monk (d. 2003)
May 11 May – Nirj Deva, Sri Lankan-British politician
June 8 June – D. A. M. R. Samarasekara, admiral 12 June – Jayalath Manoratne, actor (d. 2020) 21 June – Rukman Senanayake, politician
July 4 July Wimal Kumara de Costa, actor (d. 2016) Suminda Sirisena, actor (d. 2023) 11 July – Duleep De Chickera, Anglican Bishop of Colombo 17 July – Cletus Mendis, actor 22 July – Chandran Rutnam, filmmaker, entrepreneur 24 July – K. Sri Dhammaratana, Buddhist monk
October 23 October – M. H. M. Ashraff, lawyer, politician, founder and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (d. 2000)
Unknown date Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, physician Maru Sira, criminal (d. 1975)
Deaths 6 February – Bernard Henry Bourdillon, 64, British colonial administrator (b. 1883)
References