Remembering Dates

Simply think of a term that rhymes with your date. Make sure your rhyme is a little silly and that it paints a strong picture in your head.

You can leave off the century, so that 1861, the starting date for the Civil War, becomes 61.

Example:

• 61 = Sticky gun

Imagine a Civil War soldier struggling with a gun that’s been covered with honey. It may sound silly, but it works!

More examples:

1773 was the date of the date of the Boston Tea Party. To remember this, you could think:

• 73 = Heavenly tea

You can just picture protesters sipping lovely cups of tea right before tossing them in the water.

1783 marks the end of the Revolutionary War.

• 83 = Ladies’ bee

For this image, think of several women sitting around a quilt and celebrating by stitching a red, white & blue quilt.

The most important element of this method is to come up with a great, amusing image. The funnier it is, the more memorable it will be. If possible, come up with a little story to connect all your mental images.