1980 in Sri Lanka

The following lists notable events that occurred during 1980 in Sri Lanka.

Incumbents

 * President – J. R. Jayewardene
 * Prime Minister – Ranasinghe Premadasa
 * Chief Justice – Neville Samarakoon

Events

 * Sri Lanka competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. From 1948 to 1972, the nation was known as Ceylon at the Olympic Games.

Births

 * 11 January – Mayantha Dissanayake, politician.
 * 13 January – Niru, musician.
 * 19 January – Michael Vandort, cricketer.
 * 1 February – Janaka Thissakuttiarachchi, politician.
 * 27 February – Harshana Rajakaruna, politician.
 * 25 March – Kasun Jayasuriya, footballer.
 * 6 April – Sameera Ekanayake, gymnast.
 * 17 April – Prasad Jayawardene, cricketer.
 * 30 May – Gihan Premachandra, cricketer.
 * 3 July – Dilhara Lokuhettige, cricketer.
 * 11 July – Indika Ruwanpura, cricketer.
 * 22 August – Charitha Buddhika, cricketer.
 * 4 October – Praba Udawatte, cricketer.
 * 5 October – Malintha Gajanayake, cricketer.
 * 24 October – Umayangana Wickramasinghe, actress.
 * 25 October – Prabath Nissanka, cricketer.
 * 31 October – Tharanath Basnayaka, politician.
 * 8 November – Mohamed Ramees, footballer.
 * 11 December – Nuwan Ekanayake, cricketer.
 * 16 December – Waruna Shantha, cricketer.
 * Unknown date
 * Ida Carmelitta, gang rape and murder victim.
 * Mohanarajah Gajamohan, scientist.
 * Suresh Sriskandarajah, militant.

Deaths

 * 1 March – R. A. Chandrasena, musician (b. 1924).
 * 12 April – Stanley de Silva, cricketer (b. 1956).
 * 20 April – M. Canagaratnam, politician (b. 1924).
 * May – Edward Buultjens, cricketer (b. 1913).
 * 28 August – A. P. Jayasuriya, politician (b. 1897)
 * 1 September – Xavier Thaninayagam, academic (b. 1913).
 * 2 October – John Kotelawala, politician (b. 1895).
 * 4 December – Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, diplomat and civil servant (b. 1913).
 * Unknown date
 * Oliver Weerasinghe, architect and diplomat.