Milestones in the history of JCC

1814 - 1900   1901 - 1950   1951 - 2000    2001 - Present

1814- 1900

29th June 1814	Landing of the Methodist Missionaries in Galle.
10th August 1814	Arrival of Messrs. Lynch and Squance in Jaffna.
01st 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) introduced 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- 1950

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	Inaugration 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

1951- 2000

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.
1993.01.05	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.
1996.09.07	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.
1999 Oct 23	OBA Canada launched its Website (www.jccobacanada.com).

2001 - Present

The above information was compiled from various publications put out from time to time:

1. Jaffna Central College (1834-1934) Centenary memorial edition. Published by Jaffna Central College
2. 150th Anniversary Souvenir (1984). Published by Jaffna Central College
3. 175th Anniversary Souvenir (1992). Published by Jaffna Central College
4. 180th Anniversary Souvenir (1996). Published by JCC OBA Colombo branch.