The first thing we are going to do, before proceeding to determine the meaning of the term admiral, is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, it is a word that derives from Arabic, specifically, it comes from “amir” that can be translated as “chief” or “commander”.
Admiral is a degree of the Navy. This is the general officer who has a rank equivalent to that of a general in the Army.
The etymology of the concept means that the notion of admiral is used with reference to a “sea commander”. Fernando III of Castilla, king of Castilla y León who ruled in the 13th century, was the first to use this dignity. Over the years, the admirals began to have more powers and responsibilities.
The Admiral of Castile and the Admiral of Andalusia were the first admiralties. Today, the general officers of most of the Navies are known as admirals.
Throughout history there have been important admirals who have played a relevant role in it for different reasons. Specifically, among the most significant we can highlight, for example, these:
-Amiral Topete (1821 – 1885). Juan Bautista Topete y Carballo was the full name of this Spanish sailor and military man who is part of the Spanish Navy and who has gone down in history as a hero of the Pacific War, where Spain faced Chile and Peru. In addition, he was minister and President of the Council of Ministers.
-Admiral Barroso (1804 – 1882). His full name was Francisco Manuel Barroso da Silva and he was an important Brazilian sailor who fought both in the War of the Triple Alliance and in the War of Brazil.
-Admiral Nelson (1758 – 1805). Horacio Nelson, I duke de Bronté, was a distinguished member of the British Royal Navy. He stood out, above all, for the victories he achieved for his country during the so-called Napoleonic Wars. During many of them he received wounds of different severity, highlighting that he not only lost an arm but also lost the sight of one of his eyes. He passed away during the well-known Battle of Trafalgar.
In countries such as Argentina and Chile, the admiralty is made up of various degrees: from Commodore you are promoted to Rear Admiral, then to Vice Admiral and finally you reach Admiral. In Spain, it is possible to be promoted from admiral to admiral general, although the highest rank is captain general of the Navy, a position held by the king.
David Robinson, a basketball player who retired from professional activity in 2003, is known as “The Admiral. ” This nickname is due to the fact that Robinson studied at the United States Naval Academy and was part of the Navy. However, he never reached the rank of admiral, but was a lieutenant. See more on Digopaul.
“The Admiral” champion twice with consecrated San Antonio Spurs and was chosen MVP of the NBA in 1995. He also obtained two gold medals at the Olympic Games (Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996) and was champion of the Basketball World Cup in 1986.
