March 02

This is 2nd of March. It is day 61 of the year. As of today, there are 304 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

• 1815 – The Kandyan Convention was signed between the Kandyan chiefs and the British, leading to the deposition of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha and the ceding of the kingdom to British rule.
• 1864 – The first telegraph message was received in Colombo via the Indo-European line.
• 1871 – The Colombo Young Ladies’ Institution was opened under the patronage of the Wolvendal Consistory in March.
• 1874 – Wesley College, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest schools, was founded by the Wesleyan Methodist Mission in Colombo.
• 1877 – The Seaside Railway from Colombo to Moratuwa was officially opened.
• 1896 – St. Joseph’s College, another of Sri Lanka’s historic schools, was founded by French Roman Catholic missionaries in Colombo.
• 1951 – The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) was established as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with assistance from the Royal Air Force (RAF).
• 1991 – The Havelock Road bombing in Colombo killed at least 19 people, including Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister, and injured 73 others in a car bomb explosion.
• 2011 – A mid-air collision occurred during a rehearsal for a flypast by two Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets, resulting in the death of one pilot.
• 2020 – The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), a political alliance, was officially launched at Nelum Pokuna in Colombo.

Local observance

• Air Force Day