Sri Lanka’s first ‘Distinguished Citizen’ turns 90

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, best known as the inventor of the communications satellite and the author of more than 100 books, will celebrate his 90th birthday today. Born in 1917 at Somerset in Britain, Sir Arthur worked in the British civil service and the Royal Air Force before turning into a full time author and explorer in 1950 the year he came to Sri Lanka and fell in love with the Paradise Isle and has been living here since 1956.

Sir Arthur’s writings have inspired the World Wide Web and the Apollo project. He has also made many appearances on radio and television and received many prestigious awards. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 and was knighted in 1998 for his services to literature.