born Sept. 7, 1906, Colombo, Ceylon
died Nov. 1, 1996, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Prime minister (1977–78) and president (1978–89) of Sri Lanka.
The son of a Supreme Court judge, he became minister of finance in 1948, when Ceylon (from 1972, Sri Lanka) became independent. As prime minister, he amended the constitution to give Sri Lanka an executive presidency and became the first elected president in 1978. His administration steered the country away from socialism, revitalizing the private sector and reducing government bureaucracy. When ethnic conflict erupted between the island's Sinhalese Buddhist majority and its Tamil Hindu minority, he was unable to end the violence, which continued after his retirement and death.