 Sir Arthur C Clarke of Sri Lanka. 1917 - 2008 Birth- December 16, 1917, in Somerset, England Death - March 19, 2008, in Colombo. It was worldwide News on TV channels that Sir Arthur C
Clerk, domiciled in Sri Lanka, was felicitated on his 90th Birthday attended by
the President. Here we reproduce an article appeared on 26th Sep 2005 in the
Island News Paper under the title “Sir Clarke is our Grand Prophet”
“Lakshman Kadirgamar was our greatest statesman that lived in the recent past” people acclaimed only after his demise. “As the foreign Minister he roamed the world bringing wealth and prestige for our nation” There is one other person, who has made our Island Nation known in every nook and corner of the globe through his writings, sold in millions and millions, lectures, broadcasts and films. It is none other than Sir Arthur C Clark described as the Grand Master of “Science Fiction”. Writing is not his only forte. Working out an efficient worldwide communication system through Satellite Transmissions and employing satellites for weather forecasting etc.; and other surveillance work directly based on his efforts. It would be interesting to note that he predicted the use of satellites even prior to the launching of “Sputnik” by the Russians. As a Visionary he has been placed on par, or even a step higher than Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, by the International community. I am sorry to state that some of our youth are not even aware of such a mighty man living amongst us. Born in Somerset on December 16th 1917, he obtained a first class Honours in Physics and Mathematics at King’s College, London. In 1936 he joined the British Interplanetary Society where he edited the society journal and even became the president for two terms. He married Marilyn Mayfield in 1953 which he describes as an incompatible partnership. For a more compatible union he came to Sri Lanka in 1964, fell in love with the land and the sea. Delights in diving and or the life in an under developed land has diminished his love for space exploration and the zeal for writing. He has produced over 6 books which have exceeded fifty million copies. Along with many coveted trophies and awards for his writing for the popularization of science; he shared an Oscar Academy award nomination with Stanley Kubrik for the film 2001 Space Odyssey. As the 88th Birthday of this great personality is round the corner, it is high time for us to do something to make his achievements known to our youngsters. This will greatly please him and it would be a way of showing our gratitude for popularizing our land worldwide. Sri Lanka has bestowed on him the following honours,
Knight (Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, Nobel Prize nomnation 1994. Courtesy: 'Daily News' |
Biography. >