Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa celebrates his 71st birthday today.

Born on November 18, 1945, he was the son of former MP D.A. Rajapaksa. At the age of 24, he was elected to the Parliament from the Beliatta electorate in 1970, defeating UNP candidate Ranjith Atapattu. Defeated in 1977, he was later elected from Hambantota District in 1989.

Rajapaksa was the Minister of Labour in the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga government of 1994, and was later given the portfolio of Fisheries in 1997. He was opposition leader from 2001 to 2004 and then became Prime Minister after the election victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance.

Rajapaksa defeated UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in the 2005 Presidential Election to win the Presidency. He was once again victorious in the 2010 Presidential Election, on this occasion, against former army commander Sarath Fonseka.

Rajapaksa is credited with giving political leadership to the war against the LTTE, culminating in the victory in May 2009.

However, his second term was marred by corruption charges against members of his government and family and lack of steps taken to achieve a political solution for the communal differences.

Rajapaksa was defeated at the 2015 January Presidential Election by Maithripala Sirisena, a former ally. He later contested the August 2015 General Election and was elected to the Parliament.