On this day in history

1794: The U.S. Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Navy.
1836: In Goliad, TX, about 350 Texan prisoners, including their commander James Fannin, were executed under orders from Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. An estimated 30 Texans escaped execution.
1860: The corkscrew was patented by M.L. Byrn.
1884: The first long-distance telephone call was made from Boston to New York.
1899: The first international radio transmission between England and France was achieved by the Italian inventor G. Marconi.
1917: The Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast League of Canada, defeated the Montreal Canadiens and became the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.
1958: Nikita Khrushchev became the chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers in addition to First Secretary of the Communist Party.
1958: The U.S. announced a plan to explore space near the moon.
1998: In the U.S., the FDA approved the prescription drug Viagra. It was the first pill for male impotence.
2004: NASA successfully launched an unpiloted X-43A jet that hit Mach 7 (about 5,000 mph).
2007: NFL owners voted to make instant replay a permanent officiating tool.