Sirimavo Bandaranaike

1916-2000

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world's first female prime minister. Her husband, Solomon Bandaranaike, had founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), but after he was assassinated, she took over and led it to victory in the 1960 elections, becoming Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka since 1972). Overall she served three non-consecutive terms as prime minister: 1960–1965, 1970–1977, and 1994–2000.

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Contemporaries:

Babe Didrikson 1911-1956
Lucille Ball 1911-1989
Betty Robinson 1911-1999
Rosa Parks 1913-2005
Vivien Leigh 1913-1967
Noor Inayat Khan 1914-1944
Hedy Lamarr 1914-2000
Betty Grable 1916-1973
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Indira Gandhi 1917-1984
Esther Brown 1917-1970
Eva Peron 1919-1952
Rosalind Franklin 1920-1958