We've been using this technique for years to learn simple information like a phone number. You might associate the image of a piece of bacon with the name of this person. So if you're trying to think of this explorer, an image of a piece of bacon will come to you. This approach is particularly helpful with learning names. For example, you go to your doctor's office and you are asked to return for another appointment.
Many people have a calendar stuck on their refrigerator or on a wall at home.
By the time you get back home, you've forgotten the date or lost the appointment card. Next time, bring a planner to the doctor's office and write your appointment in it just after the doctor tells you the date. Get a medium size planner or something called an organizer. Some people make notes so short that they later can't figure out what the note means. For example, you may have a number of chores to do around the house but none of them in any particular order.