The following lists notable events that occurred during 1979 in Sri Lanka.

• President – J. R. Jayewardene
• Prime Minister – Ranasinghe Premadasa
• Chief Justice – Neville Samarakoon

• Sri Lanka defeated India in the ICC World Cup. They were the winners of the inaugural ICC Trophy, ahead of the cricket World Cup. ^[1]
• Ethnic tensions and political unrest increase, as the Tamil minority realize their political party is having minimal success in the south.^[2]

• 4 January – Chamila Gamage, cricketer.
• 27 February – Sanjaya Rodrigo, cricketer.
• 28 February – Dinesh Lalinda, cricketer.
• 2 March – Dharshana Gamage, cricketer.
• 28 March – Duminda Dissanayake, politician.
• 30 March – Malaka Dewapriya, film maker.
• 2 April – Amila Perera, cricketer.
• 13 May – Krishantha Ukwatte, cricketer.
• 26 May – Malinda Warnapura, cricketer.
• 22 June – Buddhika Mendis, cricketer.
• 10 July – Dinesh Subasinghe, musician.
• 11 July – Nisitha Rupasinghe, cricketer.
• 19 July – Dilhara Fernando, cricketer.
• 29 July – Chaminda Ruwan, cricketer.
• 10 August – Dinusha Fernando, cricketer.
• 14 August – Ranga Dias, cricketer.
• 11 September – Thuwan Raheem, footballer.
• 28 September – Mahesh Bogahalanda, cricketer.
• 6 October – Chanuka Bandara, cricketer.
• 7 October – Sujeewa de Silva, cricketer.
• 9 October – Prasanna Jayawardene, cricketer.
• 14 October – Hasantha Fernando, cricketer.
• 26 October – Indika Basnayake, cricketer.
• 29 October – Duminda Perera, cricketer.
• 2 December – Manju Wanniarachchi, boxer.
• 4 December – Wenura Caldera, cricketer.
• 14 December – Chamara Silva, cricketer.
• 17 December – Upekha Fernando, cricketer.
• 31 December – Malinga Bandara, cricketer.

• 17 February – K. Alvapillai, civil servant (b. 1905).^[3][4]
• 23 May – S. Selvanayagam, geographer and academic (b. 1932).^[5]
• 14 August – N. M. Perera, politician (b. 1905).
• 15 September – Don Carlin Gunawardena, academic (b. 1899).
• 28 December – Dommie Jayawardena, actor and singer (b. 1927).
• Unknown date – I. J. Wickrema, trade unionist (b. 1922).