21 - gun salute Gun salutes are the firing of cannon s or firearm s as a military honor . The custom stems from naval tradition , where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea , until all ammunition was spent , to show that it was disarmed , signifying the lack of hostile intent . As naval customs evolved , 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state , with the number decreasing with the rank of the recipient of the honor . While the 21 - gun salute is the most commonly recognized , the number of rounds fired in any given salute will vary depending on the conditions . Circumstances affecting these variations include the particular occasion and , in the case of military and state funerals , the branch of service , and rank ( or office ) of the person to whom honors are being rendered . History . The tradition of saluting can be traced to the Middle Ages practice of placing oneself in an unarmed position and , therefore , in the power of those being honored . This may be noted in the dropping of the point of the sword , presenting arms , discharging cannon and small arms by firing them , lowering sails , manning the yards , removing the headdress or laying on oars . The gun salute might have originated in the 17th century with the maritime practice of demanding that a defeated enemy expend its ammunition and render itself helpless until reloaded , a time - consuming operation . The gun salute had been established as a naval tradition by the late sixteenth century . A man - of - war which visited a foreign port would discharge all its guns to show that its guns were empty . Since the ship would not have enough time to reload before it was within range of the shore batteries , it was clearly demonstrating its friendly intentions by going in with empty guns . Salute by gunfire is an ancient ceremony . For years , the British 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 because seven was 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 two shots to each one shot afloat , hence the number 21 . The system of firing an odd number of rounds is said to have been originated by Samuel Pepys , Secretary to the Navy in the Restoration , as a way of economizing on the use of powder , the rule until that time having been that all guns had to be fired . Odd numbers were chosen , as even numbers indicated a death . With the increase in quality of naval gunpowder by the use of potassium nitrate , honors rendered at sea were increased to the shore salute . 21 guns became the highest national honor , although for a time monarchies received more guns than republics . Eventually republics gained equality in Britain ' s eyes . There was much confusion because of the varying customs of maritime states , but finally the British government proposed to the United States a regulation that provided for " salutes to be returned gun for gun " . The British at that time officially considered the international salute to sovereign states to be 21 guns , and the United States adopted the 21 guns and " gun for gun " return on 18 August 1875 . By country . Bangladesh . In Bangladesh the salute consists of 21 cannon fires where it is assumed that the number ' 21 ' mostly hails the legacy of the 21 February Martyr ' s Day ( presently known as International Mother Language Day ) . In fact the number ' 21 ' gets a special honor in the culture and heritage of Bengali speaking population as their language got honor to be the state language of Pakistan through a popular campus procession on 21 February 1952 . The procession saw an armed police barricading where demonstrators including five students were martyred at indiscriminate police firing to crowd . Since then along with the trend of 21 - gun salute , many cultural customs in Bangladesh and West Bengal consist of contents largely related to the mentioned event as well as the number ' 21 ' . 21 - gun salute in Bangladesh is generally used for : Canada . Gun salutes are used at special holidays , state funerals , and for members of the Canadian Royal Family . 21 - gun salutes are used for these people and holidays : The prime minister , heads of foreign missions , foreign heads of government , and the Vice President of the United States are entitled to a 19 gun salute . A 17 - gun salute is given to the Canadian Minister of National Defence when visiting a saluting station ( limited to once a year ) , as well as foreign ministers of defence . A 15 - gun salute is given on certain occasions for the lieutenant governors of the provinces , such as the Speech from the Throne in a provincial legislature , or for special occasions such as state funerals of important persons . Republic of China ( Taiwan ) . The 21 - gun salute is used in the Republic of China in honor of the President during National Day celebrations . After three trumpets blow , the audience is asked to stand up as the President enters . After he stands in the podium , the gun salute starts while the gun salute music is played . In some celebrations , it is done while the National Anthem is played . Denmark . Gun salutes are used for a variety of occasions , mostly in honor of the Danish Royal Family . There are permanent salutory guns in place at Kronborg Castle in Elsinore , the Sixtus battery at Holmen naval base in Copenhagen , as well as at the naval base at Kangilinnguit in Greenland . A 27 - gun salute is used in honor of Majesties , whereas the 21 - gun salute is used in honor of other member of the Danish Royal Family . Gun salutes occur on : Gun salutes also occur during naval visits and when a foreign head of state arrives on a state visit . Also , when HM the Queen heads out on her annual summer cruise on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog , she is saluted when passing Kronborg . The day after the birth of Princess Benedikte in 1944 which took place during Nazi Germany ' s Occupation of Denmark , members of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske performed a salute of 21 bomb s in the Ørstedsparken public park in central Copenhagen as a reference to the traditional 21 - gun salute performed at the occasion of royal births . India . The 21 - gun salute is accorded to the President of India on several occasions . As soon as a new President is sworn - in , a 21 - gun salute is given . On Republic Day of India , every year , a 21 - gun salute is given to the National Flag and the President , during the Flag Hoisting Ceremony . When a foreign head of State visits India , a formal reception is held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan ; and the Head of the State is given a Gun Salute . During the British Raj , India developed a formal hierarchical system of gun salutes . Apart from the 101 gun Imperial salute reserved for the British monarch , the more important of the hundreds of vassal rulers of princely state s involved in indirect rule were classified by the number of guns used when paying honours to them , signifying their prestige in the eyes of the British . The highest of these so - called " salute state s " ( also in some other parts of the British Empire ) enjoyed 21 guns ( Hyderabad & Berar , Mysore , Jammu and Kashmir , Baroda , and Gwalior ) . For years , a few rulers not formally under the control of the British were granted 21 guns ( Nepal , Muscat & Oman , Mosquito Coast and Zanzibar ) or even 31 guns ( Afghanistan and Siam ) . Salute for President of India consists of 21 cannon fires . During colonial British rule in India the following head of states had 21 gun salutes based on prosperity rather than military capability : And the following heads of states had 19 gun salutes , ( 21 locally ) Following heads of states had 17 gun salutes , Israel . In Israel the practice of gun salute has been eliminated since Israel has suffered many terror attacks and thus the firing of arms has a negative connotation . The 3 - volley salute is still used in military funerals . Poland . In Poland the 21 - gun salute is used in military funerals and funerals of fallen leaders and heroes . Known as the " Salwa Honorowa " ( National Salute ) , it is also used in national holidays . Pakistan . In Pakistan a 21 - gun salute is used on occasions such as on Pakistan Day ( 23 March ) , on which a 21 - gun salute is given in provincial capitals and 31 in Islamabad , the federal capital . It is also given on Independence Day ( 14 August ) and Defence Day ( 6 September ) . A 31 - gun salute in Islamabad and a 21 - gun salute in provincial capitals is also given on 12 Rabi - ul - Awwal the birth date of Prophet Muhammad . It is also given when a foreign president or prime minister visits Pakistan . Singapore . A 21 - gun salute is carried out for National Day Parade s in Singapore by the Singapore Artillery during the presidential inspection of parade contingents . Sweden . 21 - gun salutes mark special royal occasions throughout Sweden , referred to as a " Kunglig Salut " ( Royal Salute ) . The number of rounds fired in a salute depends on the place and occasion . The basic salute is 21 rounds . However , when a birth takes place within the Royal House of Sweden , and the child is the firstborn to either the reigning Monarch or to the heir to the throne a salute of 21 plus an extra 21 rounds are added , In all other births 21 rounds are fired . Gun salutes occur on : Gun salutes also occur at royal weddings , royal births , royal deaths and when a foreign head of state arrives on a state visit in Stockholm . Military saluting stations are Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen in Stockholm , Fortress of Kungshall in Karlskrona , Battery of Fårösund on the island of Gotland , Boden Fortress in Boden , Battery of Kusthöjden in Härnösand , Vaxholm Castle in Vaxholm , Skansen Lejonet Fortress and Älvsborg Castle in Gothenburg . 19 - gun salutes are used for heads of government , cabinet ministers and ambassadors . The Swedish Armed Forces also uses a gun salute consisting of two rapid gun shots . This salute , called " Svensk Lösen " ( Swedish signal ) , was fired when ever a Swedish ship would enter a harbour in order to identify the ship as Swedish , or on the field of battle to identify the Swedish troops . Sometimes a doubble signal was fired , i . e . four gun shots fired two and two , hence the Swedish tradition of a fourfold cheer instead of a threefold . This signal is today fired on special occasions , usually within the military . United Kingdom . 21 - gun salutes mark special royal occasions throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth , referred to as a " Royal Salute " ( in the British Empire it was reserved , mainly among colonial princely states , for the most prestigious category of native rulers of so - called salute state s ) , unless rendered to the president or flag of a republic ; nonetheless salutes rendered to all heads of state regardless of title are casually referred to as " royal " salutes . The number of rounds fired in a salute depends on the place and occasion . The basic salute is 21 rounds . In Hyde Park and Green Park an extra 20 rounds are added because they are Royal Parks . At the Tower of London 62 rounds are fired on royal anniversaries ( the basic 21 , plus a further 20 because the Tower is a Royal Palace and Fortress , plus another 21 ' for the City of London ' ) and 41 on other occasions . The Tower of London probably holds the record for the most rounds fired in a single salute — 124 are fired whenever the Duke of Edinburgh ' s birthday ( 62 rounds ) coincides with the Saturday designated as the Queen ' s official birthday ( also 62 rounds ) . Gun salutes occur on : Gun salutes also occur when Parliament is prorogued by the Sovereign , on Royal births and when a visiting Head of State meets the Sovereign in London , Windsor or Edinburgh . Military saluting stations are Hyde Park , the Tower of London and Woolwich in London ; also York , Colchester , Plymouth and Dover Castle in England , Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle in Scotland , Cardiff in Wales and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland . Salutes are also fired in Gibraltar . In London , salutes are fired from Hyde Park and the Tower of London ; on State Visits , at the State Opening of Parliament and for Trooping the Colour , Green Park is used instead of Hyde Park . In Hyde Park , the salute is fired by the King ' s Troop , Royal Horse Artillery . The first round is fired at noon ( 11am on The Queen ' s official birthday ) . At the Tower of London , the salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at 1pm . Salutes in Northern Ireland are usually fired from Hillsborough Castle by 206 ( Ulster ) Battery , although recently they have also been fired from HMS " Caroline " in Belfast Harbour . 19 - gun salutes are used for Field Marshals , ambassadors , and the heads of executive branch of Parliamentary governments ( i . e . Prime Ministers ) . United States . A myth common in the United States of America relative to the origin of this tradition is that the year 1776 inspired the 21 - gun salute . Beginning in the colonial period , the United States fired one shot for each state in the Union as its national salute . On 16 November 1776 , the West Indian port of St . Eustatius returned a 9 - gun salute for the 13 - gun salute given by the American brigantine " Andrew Doria " . At the time , nine guns was the customary salute to an independent republic . This First Salute was specifically ordered by the Dutch governor of the island , and marks the first formal international recognition of the United States as an independent republic . The flag flown by the " Andrew Doria " was the Grand Union Flag , 13 alternating red and white stripes with the British Flag in the union . The Stars and Stripes received its first salute when John Paul Jones saluted France with 13 guns at Quiberon Bay in 1778 ( the Stars and Stripes was not adopted as the national flag until 14 June 1777 ) . The practice of firing one gun for each state in the union was not officially authorized until 1810 , when the United States Department of War declared the number of rounds fired in the " National Salute " to be equivalent to the number of states — which , at the time was 17 . The tradition continued until 1841 when it was reduced from 26 to 21 . In 1842 , the United States declared the 21 - gun salute as its " Presidential Salute " . While the " National Salute " had been formally established as the 21 - gun salute , the current tradition holds the salute on Independence Day to be a 50 rounds — one round for each state in the union . This ' Salute to the Nation ' is fired at noon on 4 July , on U . S . military installations , while the U . S . Navy full - dresses ships and fires 21 guns at noon on 4 July , as well as on Presidents ' Day . On Memorial Day , batteries on military installations fire a 21 - gun salute to the nation ' s fallen . As well , batteries at Naval stations and on ships , fire a salute of 21 - minute guns and display the ensign at half - mast from 8 a . m . until completion of the salute . Today , a 21 - gun salute is rendered on the arrival and departure of the President of the United States ; it is fired in concordance with four ruffles and flourishes , which are immediately followed by " Hail to the Chief " — the actual gun salute begins with the first ruffle and flourish , and ' run long ' ( i . e . the salute concludes after " Hail to the Chief " has ended ) . A 21 - gun salute is also rendered to former U . S . Presidents , foreign Heads of State ( or members of a reigning royal family ) , as well as to Presidents - elect . In such a ceremony , the national anthem of the visiting dignitary ' s country is played , following the salute . In accordance with the ceremonial standard operating procedure ( SOP ) of the 3rd US Infantry ( The Old Guard ) the various gun salutes are assigned as follows : each round in a given salute is fired one at a time . The number of cannon used in a battery depends upon the intervals between each round fired . This includes , for example , a three - gun battery firing two of its guns with five - second intervals between rounds and one gun remaining at the ready in case of a misfire ; such a battery would be used at an Armed Forces Full Honors Funeral , or for State Arrival Ceremony of a foreign dignitary at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery . A four - gun battery has its first three guns firing rounds at three - second intervals , with the fourth gun ( again ) at the ready in case of misfire . The SOP also provides each gun salute a two - man gun crew ( one loader , one gunner ) for each cannon , as well as a five - man " staff " of soldiers to give the fire commands . The staff includes an Officer in Charge , a watchman ( who marks the intervals and signals each gun to fire ) , an assistant watchman ( as a backup ) , a counter ( who keeps track of the number of rounds fired and signals the last round to the Officer in Charge ) , and a Non - Commissioned Officer in Charge ( who marches the battery into place as well as signals the backup cannon to fire in case another gun misfires ) . Naval vessels now have saluting guns installed which are used solely for such purpose . The traditional timing chant , " If I wasn ' t a gunner , I wouldn ' t be here . Fire # 1 , " etc . , has been replaced by stopwatch . Nineteen - gun salutes are reserved for the Vice President of the United States , foreign deputy heads of state , cabinet members , Speaker of the House of Representatives , President " pro tempore " of the Senate , Chief Justice of the United States , state Governors , foreign heads of government ( such as Prime Ministers ) , chiefs of staff and general officers in the U . S . military of five - star rank . For each flag rank junior to a five - star officer , two guns are subtracted ( e . g . , for a four - star admiral , a 17 - gun salute is prescribed ; a three - star general would rate a 15 - gun salute ; a two - star , 13 guns , and a one - star , 11 guns ) . A gun salute is not to be confused with the three - volley salute often rendered at military funerals . The gun salutes fired in the United States are as follows : Deaths of presidents . A U . S . presidential death also involves 21 - gun salutes and other military traditions . On the day after the death of the president , a former president or president - elect — unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday , in which case the honor will be rendered the following day — the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half - hour , beginning at reveille and ending at retreat . On the day of burial , a 21 - minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material . Guns will be fired at one - minute intervals . Also on the day of burial , those installations will fire a 50 - gun salute — one round for each state — at five - second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag . Cultural references . The title of the Green Day song " 21 Guns " is a reference to a 21 - gun salute . In the song " For Those About to Rock ( We Salute You ) " by AC / DC 21 - gun salutes are also mentioned . In the film " Chitty Chitty Bang Bang " , when the Grandfather sings " Posh " whilst dangling from a hot air balloon , there is a line " they 21 gun salute me " . Boston - based Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys recorded the song " 21 Guitar Salute " ( originally by The Press ) on their 2002 split EP Face to Face vs . Dropkick Murphys . The 21 - gun salute are also mentioned in the song " Methods to your Madness " by heavy metal band Metal Church . Another mention is in the Clutch song " The Mob Goes Wild " . The 2000 U . S . Open Golf Championship , held at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links , saw a unique twist on the 21 - gun salute . The tournament ' s defending champion , Payne Stewart , had died in a plane crash the previous October . Before the tournament began , a ceremony was held in Stewart ' s memory in which 21 golfers lined up on the 18th fairway and hit drives into the Pacific Ocean .