History of Sri Lanka/List of presidents
| Name | Picture | Description |
|---|---|---|
| William Gopallawa | (Sinhala: විලියම් ගොපල්ලව, Tamil: வில்லியம் கோபள்ளவா) (17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was the last Governor-General of Ceylon (1962-1972) and became the first president of Sri Lanka. He became president when Ceylon became a republic in 1972 and the former name, "Ceylon", changed to "Sri Lanka". |