August 19

This is 19th of August. It is day 232 of the year. As of today, there are 134 days left until the end of the year. If you are curious about the 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

• 1866 – The first telegraph message from New York reached Galle, Sri Lanka.
• 1895 – The Colombo Head Post Office was opened.
• 1994 – Ranil Wickremesinghe’s term as Prime Minister ended, and Chandrika Kumaratunga began her term.
• 1997 – The 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which started on August 16, 1976, in Colombo, concluded.
• 2001 – A train derailed near Alawwa railway station in Kurunegala District, killing 46 people due to high speed and overcrowding.

International observance

• World Humanitarian Day