Junius Richard Jayewardene was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, who went on to serve as the second President of Sri Lanka and remains one of the most influential political leaders in the history of the country. He was born in a privileged family and his father was the Chief Justice of the country. He was a good student and a sportsman of note in school as well as college. Jayewardene studied law and practiced as a lawyer for some years but before long he started off as an activist for the Ceylon National Congress. Following the independence of the country, he became a member of the United National Party and served in the capacity of the finance minister. Eventually, he went on to become the leader of the party and also sat in the opposition benches during his long political career. He also served as the Minister of State and led the party to a resounding victory in 1977. He became the Prime Minister of the country following the 1977 victory but later on he was responsible for amending the constitution that made him the President of Sri Lanka. During his tenure as the President, Sri Lanka witnessed rapid economic growth.