Politician Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first woman prime minister when she took office in Ceylon (later became Sri Lanka).
Bandaranaike was Prime Minister from 21 July 1960 – 10 October 2000.
She was the first female Prime Minister in the world, and the first woman to be elected head of government.
Bandaranaike was the widow of a previous Prime Minister, Solomon Bandaranaike, who was murdered in 1959.
Bandaranaike was a socialist. She continued her husband’s policies of nationalising major sectors of the economy.
All three of their children later served in the Sri Lankan government.
Born 17 April 1916 – she spent 40 years in political office. She resigned on 10 August 2000. Exactly two months later she died, aged 84, of a heart attack
