| Year | Description |
| 1505 | Portuguese arrive in Colombo, marking beginning of European interest. For the first time the Port of Colombo was known to the Europe |
| 1875 | The King Edward VII laid the foundation stone for the South West Breakwater |
| 1882 | Harbour Board established to administer the Port of Colombo |
| 1885 | Completion of the 1285 metre long Southwest Breakwater |
| 1898 | Completion of the 335 metre long Northeast Breakwater |
| 1899 | Commencement of the construction of the Dry Docks |
| 1906 | Completion of the 814 metre long Island Breakwater. |
| 1906 | Completion of the Dry Dock |
| 1909 | Completion of the 250metre long Guide Pier for the Dry Docks (the First deep water alongside berth) |
| 1912 | Completion of 18 Coaling Jetties |
| 1912 | Completion of the 550 metre long extension arm of the Southwest Breakwater. |
| 1912 | Colombo Port was converted to a Sheltered Harbour. |
| 1913 | Colombo Port Commission Established |
| 1922 | Completion of Petroleum oil facilities |
| 1950 | Commencement of construction of fifteen alongside berths of 9-11 meters draught and two coaster berths of 7.5 meter draught and 55.800 sq. meter of adjacent transit sheds and warehouse accommodation |
| 1954 | Inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth Quay by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; the Royal Yacht, “Gothic” – the first vessel to berth at Queen Elizabeth Quay |
| 1956 | Completion of 17 alongside berths, transit sheds and warehouses |
| 1958 | Port (Cargo) Corporation was founded to nationalise the Cargo handling activities |
| 1964 | Cargo handling activities of the Port of Galle nationalised |
| 1967 | Port Tally and Protective Services Corporation established |
| 1967 | Cargo handling activities of the Port of Trincomalee nationalised |
| 1979 | The Sri Lanka Ports Authority formed by unifying the Colombo Port Commission, the Port (Cargo) Corporation and the Port Tally and Protective Services Corporation |
| 1980 | Master Plan for the Port of Colombo established with assistance from the Government of Japan |
| 1980 | Inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth Terminal |
| 1982 | Installation of the first Gantry Crane – TANGO 80 |
| 1982 | Contract for the construction of the New Container Terminal signed with M/s. Penta Ocean Wakachiku Joint Venture of Japan |
| 1982 | Opening of New Bridge (Hartal Bridge over the Harbour Canal) |
| 1983 | Inauguration of the Construction of Stage I of the fully equipped container Terminal |
| 1984 | Inauguration of the Construction of Stage II of the fully equipped container Terminal |
| 1984 | Commissioning of four Hitachi Transfer Cranes at Queen Elizabeth Quay Container Berth |
| 1985 | Ceremonial opening of Stage I of the Jaya Container Terminal |
| 1987 | Inauguration of SLPA – Mahapola Training Institute |
| 1987 | Inauguration of the Construction of Stage II of the Jaya Container Terminal |
| 1988 | Commissioning of the off-shore installation of the Single Point Bouy Mooring |
| 1994 | Completion of new Port Access Road. |
| 1995 | Inauguration of the Construction of Stage III of the Jaya Container Terminal |
| 1995 | Handling of 1 Million containers by the Port of Colombo |
| 1996 | Inauguration of the Construction of Stage IV of the Jaya Container Terminal |
| 1996 | Deepening of Main Channel to 15M depth. |
| 1997 | Inauguration of the Oil Berth |
| 1998 | Inauguration of the Unity Container Terminal |
| 1998 | Symposium of Affiliate Ports |
| 1999 | Commissioning of the Oluvil Light House in the East Coast and opening of the Oluvil Maritime Training Institute |
| 1999 | Commencement of the Development of the South Asia Gateway Terminal QCT |
| 1999 | Commencement of construction of Alongside Berth Project in Tricomalee |
| 1999 | Commissioning of empty Container Yard |
| 2000 | Commencement of Colombo South Harbour Feasibility Study |
| 2000 | Commencement of a new Berth in Port of Galle |
| 2000 | Inauguration of Peliyagoda Container Freight Station |
| 2000 | Submission of Final Report for development of the Port of Galle as a Regional Port |
| 2000 | Commencement of North Pier development phase II |
| 2000 | Inauguration of the One – Stop Documentation Centre |
| 2001 | Inauguration of the New Jetty in Port of Galle |
| 2001 | Completion of Stage I of QEQ (SAGT) development project |
| 2001 | Commissioning of the dredger “Hansakawa” |
| 2001 | Boom extension of Gantry Cranes at Jaya Container Terminal III and IV |
| 2001 | Commencement of the feasibility study for Port of Hambantota and inauguration of the new Training Institute and Project Office. |
| 2002 | Inauguration of the Ashraff Quay (multipurpose Alongside Berth) in the Port of Trincomalee |
| 2003 | Inauguration of construction of Oluvil Port access road. |
| 2003 | Inauguration of Customer Service Centre for LCL and break-bulk cargo |
| 2003 | Opening of SLPA Maritime Museum |
| 2003 | Ceremonial inauguration of Unity Container Terminal with the completion of the civil works |
| 2004 | Ceremonial inauguration of Container Handling Operations at Unity Container Terminal |
| 2004 | 25th Anniversary celebrations of the SLPA |
| 2004 | National Productivity Award in large scale service sector was won by Jaya Container Terminal |
| 2004 | Commencement of Hambantota Port Development Project |
| 2004 | Handling of 2 Million containers at the Port of Colombo |
| 2005 | Commencement of construction of the Port and Housing Scheme in Oluvil |
| 2006 | Commissioning of Container Security Initiative and Megaport Initiative in the Port of Colombo |
| 2006 | Signing of Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed Colombo Port Expansion Project to construct the Colombo South Harbour |
| 2006 | Signing of MOU concerning detailed design works of Hambantota Port Development Project (Phase I) |
| 2006 | Handling of 3 Million Containers in the Port of Colombo |
| 2007 | Commencement of construction work and signing of the financial agreement of the Hambantota Port Development Project |
| 2008 | Commencement of construction work of Oluvil Port Project |
| 2008 | Commencement of construction work of Colombo Port Expansion Project |
| 2008 | Signing of Contract agreement for construction of Bunkering facility and Tank farm at Hambantota |
| 2008 | Commencement of Colombo Oil Bank Operations by JCT Ltd., of SLPA |
| 2009 | Laying of Foundation Stones for the Bunkering Facility and Tank Farm Project and Administration Building at Hambantota |
| 2009 | Signing of MOU with APL Shipping Line |
| 2009 | JCT Terminal Management System upgrade to “NAVIS”. |
| 2010 | Ceremony of Sea Water Filling to the Harbour Basin of Magampura Port (Hambantaota) |
| 2010 | Ceremonial inauguration of MagampuraPort by officially naming as the MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, Hambantota |
| 2010 | Handling of 2 Million Containers at the Jaya Container Terminal – (JCT) |
| 2010 | Handling of 4 Million Containers at the Port of Colombo |
| 2011 | Arrival of 06 new Gantry Cranes and 30 Transfer Cranes |
| 2011 | Capacity enhancement at Colombo Oil Terminal of SLPA |
| 2011 | Arrival of 50 Terminal tractors |
| 2011 | Arrival of 2nd batch of Terminal Equipment; 03 Gantry Cranes & 11 Transfer Cranes |
| 2011 | Signing of Agreement for Colombo Port Expansion Project- South Container Terminal |
| 2011 | Ground breaking ceremony at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port to open new business ventures |
| 2011 | Ground Breaking Ceremony for commencement of construction work of Colombo South Container Terminal |
| 2012 | Commencement of handling RO-RO Vessels at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port |
| 2012 | Replacing the dilapidated existing bunker fuel pipe line from the Bloemendhal Oil Terminal to the Port of Colombo |
| 2012 | Implementation of Export Module of Cargo Management System |
| 2013 | Ceremonial inauguration of the Colombo Port Expansion Project with a monumental breakwater of 6.8 km. and the 1st Terminal- Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) 1st Berth Operation |
| 2013 | Ceremonial Inauguration of Port of Oluvil |
| 2013 | Implementation of Import FCL Module of Cargo Management System |
| 2013 | Ceremonial Inauguration of Administration Building at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port |
| 2013 | Vision 2020, the Cooperate Plan was launched |
| 2014 | Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) fully operational since April |
| 2014 | Implementation of Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) |
| 2014 | Ceremonial Inauguration of Tank Farm Complex and Bunkering Terminal at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port |
| 2014 | Opening of New Fire Brigade Building, Port of Colombo |
| 2014 | Arrival of TWO Gantry Cranes and TWO Tugs at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port |
| 2014 | Inauguration of the Colombo Port City development project |
| 2015 | Handling of 05 Millionth containers by the Port of Colombo. |
| 2016 | Opening of New CFS Stage 1 Port of Colombo. |
| 2017 | Operations of Fully Re-constructed Container Freight Station 01 (CFS 1) |
| 2017 | Concession Agreement between SLPA and CM Port for Port Operations of the Port of Hambantota signed |
| 2017 | The First Public Private Partnership for Port Operation inaugurated |
| 2017 | SLPA hosts the 19th Symposium on International Network of Affiliated Ports (INAP) Conference |
| 2017 | Signing of Shareholders Agreement & Land Lease Agreement of the Port of Hambantota |
| 2017 | Generation of 01st Payment under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd. |
| 2017 | Handling of 6 Millionth TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) by the Port of Colombo |
| 2017 | Recorded the highest ever net profit of Rs. 13.3 Billion |
| 2018 | Generation of 02nd Payment under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd. |
| 2018 | SLPA enters into MOU with SAGT and CICT to collectively promote the Port of Colombo |
| 2018 | SLPA won Ports Authority of the Year 2018 Award at Global Ports Forum. |
| 2018 | Generation of last tranche under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd. |
| 2018 | The Port of Colombo organised the first ever Colombo Port Award Night |
| 2018 | Port of Colombo ranked as the World’s Highest Container Growth Port in the first half of 2018 – Alphaliner |
2019 ~ 7 Million TEUs handled by the Port of Colombo
2019 ~ Sri Lanka Ports Authority celebrated its 40th anniversary on August 2019 (Click here to read more)
2020 ~ Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s East Container Terminal commissioned