5 Things That I Didn’t Know Before (November 2020)

Neil Mathew
4 min readNov 15, 2020
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This is the November 2020 version of 5 Things That I Didn’t Know Before.

The White Panther Party

Anyone reading this is probably aware of The Black Panther Party. However, I never knew that a White Panther Party existed. The Black Panthers were a Black Power political organization that reached its peak in membership in 1970. It was founded by Oakland college students Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966. Some argue that The Black Panther Party is the most influential black movement organization in United States history.

The White Panther Party was founded just two years later in 1968, and it was an antiracist organization that was most active in Michigan. The White Panther Party went out of its way to make sure that it wasn’t known as a white supremacist organization because of its name. The headquarters of The White Panther Party was raided in 1970. The White Panther Party also pushed for marijuana legalization.

The group remained active in San Francisco even through the 1980s. This is clearly a testament to the fact that the Bay Area maintains some kind of counterculture presence even to this day. Even the manifesto of the White Panther Party was based on the Black Panther Party manifesto.

Wealthy Russians Can Hire Fake Ambulances

There are plenty of people that would change their lifestyle completely if they became mega-wealthy. Some of those typical dreams might involve mansions, expensive vacations, or purchasing some incredible cars. However, time is also an essential resource for the mega-wealthy.

If you are extremely rich in Russia, you can hire a fake ambulance. You might wonder why someone would do this, but apparently — it would be to move through traffic quicker. Of course, this is entirely illegal, but rich Russians have access to more luxuries than the average individual. These vehicles are known as “ambulance-taxis,” and they cost over $200 an hour.

Ambulances aren’t known for comfort, but rich people have decided to fit these ambulances out with luxury interiors. Rich Russians can sip champagne as their fake ambulance weaves through traffic that will undoubtedly disappear once that siren is noticed. Why the need for an ambulance-taxi? Apparently — the traffic in Moscow is just that bad.

Al Capone’s Soup Kitchen

There’s a good chance that you have heard about Al Capone and that he was a successful gangster. We all know that gangsters become successful through some extremely heinous crimes, but many understand the importance of their standing in the community. Al Capone was one of those gangsters.

During a time where Americans were suffering through The Great Depression, thousands of them would show up at a soup kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. The soup kitchen, located at 935 South State St, served an average of around 2200 Chicagoans per day. None of these individuals had to prove that they were “of need,” either. Capone may have been a ruthless gangster, but he also understood the importance of maintaining his “Robin Hood” reputation.

The Dolphin Escort

There are always exciting and strange historical facts that you might come by on the Internet, social media, or conversation with friends or family. I had no idea that there was once a dolphin that guided ships through Cook Strait. This strait is located in New Zealand and was notoriously difficult for ships to navigate. The dolphin, later named “Pelorus Jack”, was first seen around 1888.

Pelorus Jack was a Risso’s dolphin, which extremely uncommon for that region of the world. The crew members that first discovered Pelorus Jack wanted to shoot the dolphin, only to find that it later guided them through the strait. The dolphin proceeded to help every ship that came by until it was shot in 1904.

A law passed promptly that protected the dolphin, and Pelorus Jack supposedly never helped that ship, the SS Penguin through the Cook Strait again. This is even more interesting once you realize that the ferry steamer that shot Pelorus Jack ended up sinking in 1909. 75 people died, and 30 people survived. The dolphin disappeared around 1912, and it is believed that it died of natural causes.

Since 1989, Pelorus Jack is immortalized as the symbol for the Interislander, a Cook Strait ferry service. As if that wasn’t enough, the “Pelorus Jack” is also the name of a Scottish country dance:

The Legend Of Tommy Cash

If you are reading this, you are probably aware of Johnny Cash, who is one of the best-selling artists of all time. One of the most unique things about Johnny Cash is that his music spanned all sorts of genres, including country, rock-and-roll, blues, gospel, and more. Johnny also had a younger brother named Tommy.

While this alone might not be an exciting fact, it’s also interesting to point out that Tommy Cash also pursued a career in music. His biggest hit was a song called “Six White Horses”, dedicated to Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. His voice was also very similar to his brother’s. Here is a song that seems to be poking a bit of fun at his brother’s fame, called “I Didn’t Walk The Line.” (For those who don’t know, one of Johnny Cash’s biggest hits was a song called “I Walk The Line.)

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Neil Mathew

Copywriter/Ghostwriter. 1 million+ views. 5x Top Writer featured in The Startup, Level, Med Daily, and more. Inquiries: www.neilmathewcopywriter.com