Sri Lanka on July 24

This is 24th of July. It is day 205 of the year. As of today, there are 160 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

• 1979 – The Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed during J. R. Jayewardene’s presidency.
• 1983 – The Thirunelveli massacre claimed 51 lives in Thirunelveli, Jaffna.
• 1983 – The Black July anti-Tamil riots erupted in Sri Lanka, causing around 3,000 deaths within a week.
• 1988 – The Udugampola family massacre in Poddala, Galle resulted in the deaths of 5 people.
• 1996 – Simultaneously bombs exploded in a train in Dehiwala, killing 64 people and injuring around 400.
• 2001 – 14 Tamil Black Tiger commandos attacked the Sri Lanka Air Force base and the adjoining Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, destroying 11 civilian and military aircraft and damaging 15 others, leading to a slowdown in the Sri Lankan economy.