What is the significance of 21 in a 21 gun salute? Why not 20 or 23?

Answer 1

A 21-gun salute is called a Royal Salute in the British Commonwealth (in the British Empire it had been reserved, mainly among colonial princely states, for the most prestigious category of native rulers of so-called salute states), unless rendered to the president or flag of a republic; even then it is colloquially called "royal". For example, it would be said of the President of the United States, if saluted in Canada, that he received a "royal salute." However, the salutes fired at the Tower of London to mark the anniversaries of the birth, accession, coronation of the Sovereign, and other royal occasions are in fact 62 guns, and 41 guns are fired at Hyde Park or Green Park on Royal occasions.

In the United States, the 21-gun salute is used as a Presidential Salute as well as a Salute to the Nation when fired at noon on Memorial Day — a 50-gun salute (one gun for each state of the Union) is fired at noon on the 4th of July.

The tradition of saluting can be traced to the Middle Ages (17th Centry) practice of placing oneself in an unarmed position and, therefore, in the power of those being honoured. This may be noted in the dropping of the point of the sword, presenting arms, firing cannon and small arms, lowering sails, manning the yards, removing the headdress or laying on oars.

Answer 2

1+7+7+6=21

Answer 3

It's because back in the days of sailing ships, most British warships carried a broadside of 21 cannons. When they wanted to show an approaching friendly ship that they too were friendly and meant no harm, they would clear their guns, all 21 at once, and approach with weapons empty. The other ship would reciprocate. Hence, the 21 gun salute. Thus, it became a bit of a formal salute that ships would do for each other. I was more of a formality than anything else, of course. They would usually do it when they KNEW the other ship was friendly. Like I said, it was more of a formal salute than a show of good faith.

Answer 4

Salute by gunfire is an ancient ceremony. The British for years compelled weaker nations to render the first salute; but in time, international practice compelled "gun for gun" on the principle of equality of nations. In the earliest days, seven guns was the recognized British national salute due to seven being the standard number of weapons on a vessel. In that day, gunpowder made from sodium nitrate was easier to keep on dry land than at sea. Thus those early regulations stated that although a ship would fire only seven guns, the forts ashore would fire three shots to each one shot afloat, hence the number 21.

Answer 5

I don't know the significance of it other than military respect. I always thought a 21 gun salute was seven riflemen firing thrice in unison which is true. However, when they honored president Ford when he died, there were three cannons with a three man crew each and they fired the three cannons in unison seven times. Hence another 21 gun salute. I don't know, just noticed the difference.

Answer 6

Because seven is a number of significance in Judaism. It is a number denoting good fortune. To be given a 21-gun salute is the highest honor a military man can be given when it comes to that type of honor.

Answer 7

Its a long story. Its basicily about traditions from the old days. The key to understand how many salute shots there should be is to see who its for. The higher that person or ship is the more shots are being fired. Johan

Answer 8

Because 21 is the best number in the world!

Answer 9

What is the origin of the 21-gun salute?

The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. Apparently this custom was universal, with the specific act varying with time and place, depending on the weapons being used. A North African tribe, for example, trailed the points of their spears on the ground to indicate that they did not mean to be hostile.

The tradition of rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Since these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective. Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes--the number seven probably selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance. Seven planets had been identified and the phases of the moon changed every seven days. The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after Creation, that every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year ushered in the Jubilee year.

Land batteries, having a greater supply of gunpowder, were able to fire three guns for every shot fired afloat, hence the salute by shore batteries was 21 guns. The multiple of three probably was chosen because of the mystical significance of the number three in many ancient civilizations. Early gunpowder, composed mainly of sodium nitrate, spoiled easily at sea, but could be kept cooler and drier in land magazines. When potassium nitrate improved the quality of gunpowder, ships at sea adopted the salute of 21 guns.

The 21-gun salute became the highest honor a nation rendered. Varying customs among the maritime powers led to confusion in saluting and return of salutes. Great Britain, the world's preeminent seapower in the 18th and 19th centuries, compelled weaker nations to salute first, and for a time monarchies received more guns than did republics. Eventually, by agreement, the international salute was established at 21 guns, although the United States did not agree on this procedure until August 1875.

The gun salute system of the United States has changed considerably over the years. In 1810, the "national salute" was defined by the War Department as equal to the number of states in the Union--at that time 17. This salute was fired by all U.S. military installations at 1:00 p.m. (later at noon) on Independence Day. The President also received a salute equal to the number of states whenever he visited a military installation.

In 1842, the Presidential salute was formally established at 21 guns. In 1890, regulations designated the "national salute" as 21 guns and redesignated the traditional Independence Day salute, the "Salute to the Union," equal to the number of states. Fifty guns are also fired on all military installations equipped to do so at the close of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect.

Today the national salute of 21 guns is fired in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the President, ex-President and President-elect of the United States. It is also fired at noon of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect.

Gun salutes are also rendered to other military and civilian leaders of this and other nations. The number of guns is based on their protocol rank. These salutes are always in odd numbers.

Source: Headquarters, Military District of Washington, FACT SHEET: GUN SALUTES, May 1969.

Answer 10

I don't know, but this is the best question I've seen on Yahoo Answers. I bet the significance is way cool.