1948 in Sri Lanka

1948 in Sri Lanka marks the turn from the British Ceylon period to independent modern Sri Lanka. The year saw Sri Lanka, then known as British Ceylon, regain its independence from the British Empire, thus establishing the Dominion of Ceylon.

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 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.

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, were denied citizenship and rendered stateless.

December

 * 3 December – The film Veradunu Kurumanama is released.

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)

Date Unknown

 * Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, physician
 * Maru Sira, criminal (d. 1975)

Deaths

 * 6 February – Bernard Henry Bourdillon, 64, British colonial administrator (b. 1883)