Milestone
June 1814
Landing of the Methodist Missionaries in Galle.
10th August 1814
Arrival of Messrs. Lynch and Squance in Jaffna.
1st August 1816
Purchased the Site for the School from the Government by Rev. James Lynch.
1817
Jaffna Wesleyan English School founded.
1825
The school transferred to Vembadi Site.
1826
Arrival Of Rev. Dr.Peter Percival.
1834
Re-named the School, "The Jaffna Central School"
1839
Visit of His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. J.A. Stewart Mackenzie. Receipt of First Government Grant of Stg.150/-
1851
Rev. Dr. Peter Percival retired
1852
Preparatory Department opened at St. Paul’s, Chapel Street
1853
Vannarponnai English School started
1854
Boarding Department housed at "Hope Cottage" (the present site of Wesley House")
1855
Mr. Samuel Grenier appointed as the Head master who later became the First Supreme Court Judge of Ceylon. Rev. William Barber appointed Principal
1859
The First Public Examination and Prize-Giving
1860
Rev. William Talbot appointed Principal Mr. William Nevins appointed Head-master
1862
Rev. John Mitchell appointed Principal
1867
Mr. John O. Rhodes appointed Principal Latin introduced as a Subject
1869
Affiliated to the Madras University
1870
Collegiate Department formed Rev. D. P. Niles acted as Principal
1873
Rev. S. R. Wilkin appointed Principal
1874
Rev. William R. Winston appointed Principal
1877
Mr. Edward Strutt appointed Principal
1879
Rev. F. M. Webster, B.A., appointed Principal
1881
Rev. F. M. Webster introduced Cricket for the first time into Jaffna.
1882
Thomas Little Esqr., appointed Principal
1883
Mr. William J. G. Bestall appointed Principal
1884
Joseph West , Esqr., appointed Principal
1885
Rev. A. E. Restarick appointed Principal College Y.M.C.A. founded College Literary Association inaugurated
1886
Mr. William Nevins retired Rev. D. P. Niles returned
1888
Rev. Sheldon Knapp appointed Principal
1890
Rev. E. M. Weaver appointed Principal
1891
Rev. W. T. Garret, B.A., appointed Principal
1894
Rev. Gabriel Leese appointed Principal Football (Soccer) I ntroduced Mr. J. K. Chanmukam , B.A., L.T., appointed Head-Master
1896
Rev. W. T. Garret, B.A., returned as Principal
1897
Affiliated with the Calcutta University
1898
Won the Gymkhana Cup
1899
Rev. G. B. Robeson acted as Principal
1900
Rev. E. O. Martin acted as Principal
1901
Rev. A. Lockwood acted as Principal Rev. W.T. Garret B.A., returned as Principal. Mr. W.R. Cooke arrived.
1902
Visit of Mr. (Sir) S. M. Burrows, director of Public Instruction
1903
Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes, B.A., L.C.P., appointed Principal
1904
College Magazine " The Central" published The Central Crest and Colours designed Inauguration of a College building fund
1905
T. Saravanamuttu passed the F.A. of the Calcutta University obtaining First Class Honours and coming 16th in order of merit Visit of Sir Henry Blake, Governor of Ceylon
1906
Visit of Dr. and Mrs. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Mr. W. Romaine Cooke went on furlough Cambridge Junior Local Class formed
28th December 1906
Inauguration of Old Boys Association - Jaffna Branch.
1907
Mr. W. R. Cooke returned First Old Boys’ Day Celebrations Cambridge Senior local Class formed T. Cooke Jayaratnam obtained a First Class in the Cambridge Junior Local, Coming 8th in order of merit in the Island
1908
Won the Prize Football Cup Visit of Sir Henry McCallum, Governor of Ceylon Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes transferred to Point Petro Rev. H. A. Meek , B.A., appointed principal
25th September 1908
Foundation laid for the present Assembly Hall
1909
Prize Football Cup won 2nd time
1910
Prize Football Cup won 3rd time Rev. H. A. Meek, B.A., retired Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes, B.A., returned as Principal Opening of the New Building by Mrs. G. J. Trimmer Staging of the First English Play completely at Central
1911
A. R. Rasiah won the Hewavitharne Science Prize
1911
Won the Union Jack at the Sports Meet
1915
Won the Doraiswamy Cricket Cup Visit of Sir (Lord) Robert Chalmers, Governor of Ceylon
1916
Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes retired Rev. E. T. Selby acted as Principal Scout Movement inaugurated Mr. J. W. Arudpragasam, B.A., joined
1917
Rev. H. Bullough, M. A., B.Sc., arrived W. R. Cooke, Esqr., retired Muttucumaru Football Cup won
1918
Opened a New Dormitory (the present Dining Hall) Bracketed Champions in the Inter-Collegiate Gymkhana Meet
1919
Visit of Sir William Manning, Governor of Ceylon Visit of Sir John Randles, M.P. Death of Mr. S. A. Edward, B. A., L.T. Cup Pack organised Muttucumaru Football Cup won (Final)
1920
Percival Hall opened Commercial class formed
1921
Inter-Collegiate Athletics Championship won Rev. H. Bullough retired Rev. H. R. Cornish acted as Principal
May 1922
Rev. Percy T. Cash, B.A., B.Sc., (London) arrived
1922
Mr. L. P. Spencer, B. A., transferred to Kilner College Union College started
1923
London Intermediate Classes formed. Botany introduced as a subject. House System organized. New Building scheme inaugurated. Foundation laid for the Two Storied Building. A. Kulanayagam won the Sir Marcus Fernando All-Ceylon Agricultural. Scholarship. The Tamil Kazhagam inaugurated. Y.M.C.A. affiliated to the Student Christian Movement of India, Burma, and Ceylon. Social Service League inaugurated The Master’ Fellowship formed The Temperance League inaugurated Visit of Sir William Manning, Governor of Ceylon
1924
T. M. Z. Mahamooth , P. C. Selvaratnam and W. A. Wijayaretnam chosen to represent Ceylon at the International Scout Jamboree held in Wembley, London.
1925
Sanskrit and Music introduced as subjects Teachers’ Guild inaugurated Visit of Rev. W. T. Barber, M.A., D. D. Visit of Sir Cecil Clementi (Acting Governor)
1926
Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of Ceylon opened :- The William Paul Botanical Laboratory The William Romaine Cooke Library The Geographical Laboratory The Art Room
1927
Mr. J. K. Chanmukam, B.A., L.T., acted as Principal Rev. Percy T. Cash went on furlough
27th November 1927
Visit of Mahatma Gandhi
1928
Rev. Percy T. Cash returned Mr. J. K. Chanmukam retired
1929
Mr. J. W. Arudpragasam, B.A., and Mr. O. L. Gibbon, M.A., appointed Co-Vice Principals Rev. W. J. Noble visited the College
1930
Death of Mr. J. K. Chanmukam Vembadi-Central Recreation Club formed. Sir Herbert Stanley, Governor of Ceylon , presided at the College Prize Distribution Hon. Mr. M.T. Akbar, K.C., visited the College
1931
New Hostel Buildings opened
1932
W. R. N. Nathaniel won the Sir Marcus Fernando Scholarship Malayan Branch of the Old Boys’ Association formed Hon. Mr. P. J. Macdonnel, Chief Justice of the Island, visited. Death of Mr. G. W. Tamber. Rev. Percy T. Cash went on furlough.
1933
Mr. R. J. Seal, M.Sc., acted as Principal V. S. Ariaretnam won the Sir Marcus Fernando Scholarship S. Kandiah represented the Northern Province Boys’ Scout Association at the International Jamboree held in Budapest Old boy Professor Kandiah was awarded the doctorate of science by the University of London. The first Srilankan to obtain this highest qualification in science.
1934
Rev. Percy T. Cash returned as Principal
June 1935
Centenary of the renaming of the school as Jaffna Central School in 1834 was celebrated on a large scale.
1936
"Jaffna Central College": Centenary Memorial Edition was published.
1937
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore visited JCC
1940 – 1942
Mr. R. S. D. Williams B.A., Dip. Ed., as Principal
1945
Free Education scheme of the Government was adopted at the College. Rev. C.A. Smith B.A. Honours L.Th was appointed principal
1952
Our student N Ethirveerasingham at the age of 20 participated in high jump at the Olympic Games geld in Helsinki, Finland, representing the country and the only student. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India visited the school.
1955
Rev. Dr. D. T. Niles became Principal of the College.
1956
The Golden Jubilee celebration of the Old Boys’ Association.
1960
All schools in the island other the ones opted to be private were taken by the state.
1962
A.E. Tamber became the Principal.
1962
The property of the school was vested in the crown by Gazette notification.
1964
A non-Centralite or Wesleyan Methodist, Mr. E. Sabalingam, was made principal.
1981
The centenary of the introduction of Cricket into Jaffna by Rev. F. Webster, Principal, was celebrated.
1984
Celebrated the 150th anniversary. Published the Central 1984 souvenir.
1990
The college and its building were badly damaged or destroyed by aerial bombing during the ethnic war. Mr. N. K. Shanmuganathapillai was appointed as Principal.
1st May 1993
The special committee appointed by the Old Boys’ Association to determine the date of founding of the College concluded its finding. First of August 1816 as the date of founding of the college. The 175th anniversary souvenir was released.
1994
The college was made a National School.
7th September 1996
The Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts issued a postage stamp (with the denomination of Rs. 2) and a First Day Cover to commemorate 180 years of the founding of Jaffna Central College.
1996
Mr. K. Rasathurai was appointed as the Principal.
1996
OBA Colombo Branch, on behalf of the College, published a souvenir to mark 180th Anniversary of the College.
23rd October 1999
OBA Canada launched its Website (www.jccobacanada.com).
2001 March
Central-St. John's Battle of the North, 100th year Cricket anniversary was celebrated. The Big Match was celebrated in a grand way at the Central Cricket Grounds, Jaffna. OBA Canada released a commemorative Canadian stamp at the Madya Deepam 2001 cultural show.
2004 March
The historic 100th cricket encounter between Jaffna Central and St.John's college will be held on the 17th,18th and 19th of March,2004 at the central grounds.
2005 October
Principal Kanapathipillai Rasathurai was killed while attending Saraswathi Pooga with some of the college students in Jaffna.
2006 July
100th year of the founding of the Old Boy's association of Jaffna Central College. JCCOBA Canada released a centenary magazine to mark this historic event in Toronto, Canada
2008
Mr. L. Orangamoorthy was appointed as the Principal
2009
Prof. Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran M.D. Ph.D, MRCOG, Central Old Boy (1959-1964) and former President of the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours
2011
Mr. K. Elilventhan B.A (Jaffna), Diploma in Education, Diploma in School Management was appointed as Principal
2011 August
Prof. R.K. Guganesharajah (old boy) released a souvenir "Glimpses of 195 years of History" to mark the 195 years of Jaffna Central College
2012
A new swimming pool, first of a kind in the north, was opened at the college by the Excellency President of Sri Lanka, Honourable Mahinda Rajapakse
2013 September
A statue of the school founder Rev. James Lynch was unveiled in front of the Romaine Cooke Hall
2014
Colombo JCC OBA celebrated the 100th anniversary (1913-2013) of the association and released the souvenir
2016
Several events and functions will organize in the college to mark the 200th anniversary of the college (1816 - 2016)
2017
In 2017 the construction work of a pavilion began in 2017.
2018
Thirteen year guaranteed education and Technology stream was inaugurated at our school.
29th November 2018
Magizhakam (Mental Health & Career guidance unit) was inaugurated at our school.
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