April 23

This is 23rd of April. It is day 113 of the year. As of today, there are 252 days left until the end of the year. If you are curious about the most important and notable historical footprint of Sri Lanka, let us delve into more On This Day events to uncover fascinating tidbits from the nation's history that covers for 365 days.

Today’s Highlight

• 1956 – The Yal Devi, a major express train connecting Colombo and Jaffna, was launched.
• 1993 – Lalith Athulathmudali, former Cabinet Minister and Deputy Minister of Defence, was assassinated in Kirulapana while addressing a gathering, just weeks before the Western Provincial Council elections. His assassination remains one of the most controversial political killings in recent Sri Lankan history.
• 2000 – The LTTE captured the Elephant Pass military complex, which had separated the Jaffna Peninsula from the mainland and had been a military stronghold for 17 years, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, 100+ missing, and 1,687 soldiers wounded, alongside significant losses for the LTTE.
• 2009 – The Valayanmadam shelling in Mullaitivu killed over 10 people.

International observance

• World Book (World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book)
• UN English Language Day
• UN Spanish Language Day