Uh…what day is it again? Oh yes, that’s right – it’s National Memory Day! (Sometimes it can be hard to remember.)
Although many people believe that they simply are born with a bad memory, a great deal of research has shown that the memory parts of the brain can be stretched and exercised just like the body.
So those who want to improve their memories can do so in a variety of ways.
Fitting closely with the beginning of spring, National Memory Day might be the perfect day to celebrate the amazing gift of memory – before you forget and the day is over.
If forgetting seems likely, go ahead and tie a string around that finger to be sure to remember to celebrate this day!
National Memory Day Timeline
Aristotle’s Wax Tablet Theory of Memory
In his treatise “De memoria et reminiscentia,” Aristotle compares human memory to impressions stamped in wax, offering one of the earliest systematic theories that memories are formed and retained as traces shaped by experience.
Ebbinghaus Quantifies Forgetting
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus publishes “Über das Gedächtnis” (“Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology”), introducing controlled experiments on learning, the forgetting curve, and the benefits of spaced repetition.
Patient H. M. Reveals Role of the Hippocampus
Neurosurgeon William Scoville and psychologist Brenda Milner report on patient H. M. (Henry Molaison), showing that removal of both hippocampi causes profound anterograde amnesia and establishing the hippocampus as crucial for forming new long‑term memories.
Tulving Distinguishes Episodic and Semantic Memory
Endel Tulving introduces the terms “episodic” and “semantic” memory, arguing that memory for personal events differs from memory for facts and concepts, a distinction that reshapes cognitive psychology.
Tulving Elaborates the Mental Time Travel Idea
In his book “Elements of Episodic Memory,” Tulving develops the idea that episodic memory involves a subjective sense of “mental time travel,” emphasizing conscious re‑experiencing of past events as a unique memory function.
Multiple Memory Systems in the Brain Consolidated
Larry Squire’s influential review synthesizes decades of research to show that memory relies on distinct but interacting brain systems, including medial temporal lobe, striatal, and amygdala circuits, clarifying how different kinds of memory are organized.
Modern Replication Confirms the Forgetting Curve
A contemporary study replicates Ebbinghaus’s classic memory experiments, finding a similar exponential decline in retention over intervals from minutes to weeks, and reinforcing the empirical basis for strategies like review and practice to strengthen memory.
How to Celebrate National Memory Day
For those who remember to make a little extra effort and plan ahead, celebrating National Memory Day can be a load of fun whether alone or with a group of friends or family members.
Clever and fun ideas for celebrating the day might include:
Get a Good Night of Sleep
Most people don’t realize that getting enough sleep is a critical factor in the ability to have a sharp memory. People who have healthy sleep lives are more effectively able to store and retrieve long-term memories.
For those who struggle to sleep, try practicing healthy sleep hygiene habits such as cutting out caffeine, dimming the lights, turning off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime, reading a boring book, and going to bed/waking up at the same time every day.
Watch Finding Dory
A spinoff of the first Disney Pixar film, Finding Nemo, this animated movie features the voice of Ellen Degeneres as Dory, Nemo’s memory-impaired friend.
Dory, the adorably forgetful blue-eyed tang fish can only keep her thoughts straight for about 10 seconds, and then she has to start over.
In the story, she does somehow know that she was separated from her parents when she was younger. So, Dory and her friends, Nemo and Marlin, set out on an adventure to find her parents and, ultimately, release them from captivity. It’s a delightful look at friendship and tenacity, even when forgetfulness gets in the way!
Make Memories for the Future
Spend the day with people you love, doing things you love, and capture it in your mind and heart to keep for the future. For those who want to keep a creative record of the day, it can be fun to make a memory book or scrapbook.
People who are interested in looking back from the future might consider creating a time capsule. Fill it with interesting things that represent this current season of life, what’s important or interesting about today, friends and family who are a part of life.
Then bury it in a special place. Choose a time in the future (maybe 10 or 20 years from now) when it will be time to go back and dig it up. The memories will be fascinating!
Create a National Memory Day Playlist
Throw a few songs about the memory onto a Spotify playlist as a soundtrack for sharing with friends, family, or coworkers:
- Memory (1981) by Elaine Paige, from the musical Cats
- Memories(2019) by Maroon Five
- I Will Remember You (1993) by Sarah McLachlan
- Photograph (2005) by Nickelback
- September (Do You Remember?) (1978) by Earth, Wind, and Fire
- When We Were Young (2016) by Adele
Participate in Memory Games
Like any other part of the physical body, the brain and memory need exercise in order to stay in tip-top shape. Memory loss is less likely to occur in old age for those who work hard at exercising their minds.
Why not try one of those on-line brain games to test out how well your memory skills function? Or devise your own test at work – cover your eyes and try to remember all the items on your colleague’s desk.
Or what about trying to remember the lines from your favorite TV show’s theme song from back when you were a child? Some experts say that even simply doing a sudoku or crossword puzzle regularly can help keep the memory sharp and the brain in its best working order.
Eat a Memory-Boosting Meal
Certain foods are known to be excellent helpers for boosting memory and brainpower. Try cooking with new recipes or ordering in foods that contain these special ingredients:
- Fish — with Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- Coffee — with Caffeine and Antioxidants
- Blueberries — with Antioxidants
- Turmeric and Curcumin — with Antioxidants and helps grow new brain cells
- Broccoli — with Vitamin K
- Dark Chocolate — with Flavonoids
Although not a food, Ginkgo Biloba is a health supplement that has been shown to slow down or even prevent age-related memory problems, memory loss, or other types of mild cognitive impairment.
Support an Important Charity
On a more serious note, it is no secret how devastating Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are to both its sufferers and their loved ones. Why not mark this day in a meaningful way by supporting one of the great charities that help in these areas?
The Alzheimer’s Foundation is one of many organizations that help with this difficult illness that is deeply connected with short-term memory loss.
The organization provides a memory screening program and tests, caregiving resources, scholarships, and various events for people affected by the disease as well as their families and caregivers.
Or, it might be thoughtful to go visit someone you know who is affected by memory loss. They may not remember it, but you will – and your world will be a little better for practicing this kindness.
History of National Memory Day
The discipline of studying human memory dates back at least 2000 years. Aristotle was a philosopher who believed that humans are born with a mind like a blank slate and memories are imprinted on them in a way similar to making an impression on wax.
This philosophy leans toward the “nurture” side of the “nature vs. nurture” question. And scientists have been trying to learn about memory ever since.
The brain is a complex and mysterious organ that is extremely difficult to study. However, modern technology has brought significant advances to the understanding of the processes of memory.
A study has revealed that the brain goes through three memory processes: encoding, storage, and retrieval. So in order to be able to recall memories, all three processes must be working well!
While it might be hard to believe that it starts that young, scientific research has shown that the first memories in human development begin in the womb, even before a baby is born.
And although the capacity of the human memory is considered to be basically limitless, most people cannot recall memories that happened to them prior to the age of 3-4. Some scientists believe it’s not that the memories aren’t there, it’s simply that they are unable to be recalled.
National Memory Day is the perfect time to enjoy a variety of memory-related activities–and to think about someone who might struggle with memory a little bit more.
Facts About National Memory Day
Memory Has Distinct Systems That Can Fail Independently
Scientists now know that human memory is not a single “storage box” but a collection of systems that can be damaged or preserved independently.
Classic cases like patient H.M., who lost the ability to form new long‑term memories after surgical removal of parts of his hippocampus, showed that short‑term memory, long‑term memory, and procedural skills (such as learning to trace a shape in a mirror) rely on different brain circuits.
This discovery transformed how neurologists diagnose and treat different types of memory problems.
Sleep Selectively Strengthens Certain Memories
Experiments using brain imaging and controlled naps have shown that sleep does not simply “rest” the brain; it actively replays and strengthens specific recent memories.
During deep non‑REM sleep, coordinated bursts of activity between the hippocampus and cortex consolidate newly learned facts and experiences, while less important information fades.
People allowed to sleep after learning word lists or spatial tasks reliably recall more than those kept awake for the same period.
The “Forgetting Curve” Was Measured in the 19th Century
In the 1880s, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus painstakingly memorized lists of nonsense syllables to study how memory fades.
By testing himself over days and weeks, he mapped a “forgetting curve,” showing that people lose a large portion of new information within hours, then forgetting slows over time. Modern studies using computers and brain imaging have confirmed that this rapid‑then‑gradual pattern of forgetting still holds in today’s learners.
Humans Rarely Remember Anything Before Age Three
Most adults cannot recall events from their first three years of life, a phenomenon known as childhood amnesia.
Long‑term studies show that preschool children can describe early experiences when prompted, but those same events are usually forgotten by adolescence.
Researchers think this gap is linked to the slow maturation of the hippocampus and the development of language, which together provide the scaffolding needed to form lasting autobiographical memories.
Regular Aerobic Exercise Can Enlarge a Key Memory Structure
A year‑long clinical trial in older adults found that moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking three times a week, actually increased the size of the hippocampus, a brain region critical for forming new memories.
Participants who exercised showed improved spatial memory and reversed one to two years of age‑related volume loss compared with a control group that only did stretching. This study helped establish physical activity as a genuine memory‑protective strategy, not just general health advice.
Mediterranean‑Style Eating Patterns Are Linked to Slower Memory Decline
Large population studies have found that people who closely follow a Mediterranean‑style diet, rich in vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts, tend to experience slower memory and thinking decline with age.
In one cohort of older adults, high adherence to this pattern was associated with a significantly lower risk of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease, even after adjusting for education and physical activity.
Elephants and Scrub Jays Show Sophisticated Long‑Term Memories
Field observations and controlled experiments suggest that some animals rival humans in specific kinds of memory. African elephants can remember the locations of water sources and social relationships for many years, which helps herds survive droughts.
Western scrub jays, a type of crow, have been shown to recall not only where they cached food, but also what they hid and how long ago, adjusting their behavior when items are likely to have spoiled, a capacity that resembles human episodic memory.
