# J. R. Jayewardene

_President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/j-r-jayewardene
Last updated: 2026-11-09

> Junius Richard Jayewardene, also known by his initials JR, was a Sri Lankan lawyer, who served as prime minister of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1978 and as president of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon and served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime member of the United National Party, he led the party to a landslide victory in the 1977 parliamentary elections and served as prime minister for half a year before becoming the country's first executive president under an amended constitution.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 17 September 1906 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Colombo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P19))
- **Died:** 1 November 1996 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P570))
- **Place of death:** Colombo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Sri Lanka ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P27))
- **Occupation:** cricketer; diplomat; politician; lawyer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P106))
- **Political party:** United National Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P102))
- **Education:** Sri Lanka Law College; Royal College, Colombo; University of London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P69))
- **Spouse:** Elina Jayewardene ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Sri Lanka (4 February 1978 – 2 January 1989); Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (4 February 1978 – 9 September 1979); Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (4 August 1977 – 4 February 1978); Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (23 July 1977 – 4 February 1978); Leader of the Opposition (7 June 1970 – 18 May 1977); Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka (24 April 1960 – 20 July 1960); Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka (26 September 1947 – 13 October 1953) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661#P39))

## Questions

**When was J. R. Jayewardene born?**  
J. R. Jayewardene was born on 17 September 1906 in Colombo.

**What positions has J. R. Jayewardene held?**  
Positions held by J. R. Jayewardene include: President of Sri Lanka (1978–1989); Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1978–1979); Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1977–1978); Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1977–1978); Leader of the Opposition (1970–1977).

**Where did J. R. Jayewardene study?**  
J. R. Jayewardene was educated at Sri Lanka Law College, Royal College, Colombo, University of London.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): J. R. Jayewardene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Jayewardene) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q469661](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469661) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg by Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J._R._Jayawardene,_President_of_the_Democratic_Socialist_Republic_of_Sri_Lanka_on_June_20,_1984.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article J. R. Jayewardene, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg — Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center., Public domain.

## Cite this page

"J. R. Jayewardene". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/j-r-jayewardene. Retrieved 10 November 2026.