An admiral is a commander of the navy.
Admiral is a rank 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 takes us to the Arabic amir , which can be translated as "chief" or "commander" . That is why the term usually refers to a "commander of the sea" .
Ferdinand III of Castile , king of Castile and León who ruled in the 13th century , was the first to use this dignity . Over the years, admirals began to have more powers and responsibilities.
Examples of admirals
Throughout history there have been important admirals who have played an important role for different reasons. Among the most significant we can highlight these personalities:
- Admiral Topete (1821-1885). Juan Bautista Topete y Carballo was the full name of this sailor and soldier who is part of the Spanish Navy and who has gone down in history as a hero of the Pacific War , where Spanish forces faced Chile and Peru . In addition, he was a 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 in both the War of the Triple Alliance and the Brazilian War .
- Admiral Nelson (1758-1805). Horace Nelson , 1st Duke of Bronte , 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 injuries of varying severity, highlighting that he not only lost an arm but also lost sight in one of his eyes. He died during the well-known Battle of Trafalgar .
The admiral performs important functions on a ship.
Other grades
In countries such as Argentina and Chile , the admiralty is made up of several grades: from commodore you are promoted to rear admiral , then to vice admiral and finally you reach admiral.
In Spain , one can be promoted from admiral to admiral general , although the highest rank is captain general of the Navy , a position held by the king .
"Admiral" Robinson
David Robinson , a basketball player who retired from professional activity in 2003 , is known as "The Admiral." This nickname is because Robinson studied at the United States Naval Academy and was part of the Navy . In any case, he never reached the rank of admiral, but was instead a lieutenant.
"El Almirante" became champion twice with the San Antonio Spurs and was elected NBA Most Valuable Player in 1995 . He also won two gold medals in the Olympic Games ( Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 ) and was champion of the Basketball World Cup in 1986 .