Friends, as we all know that in order to crack IAS, PCS, Bank PO or any other competitive examinations with history as one of the main subjects, historical dates play a very important role and students face a big problem in memorising them. As historical dates are in numeric form and the information in numeric form remains in our mind for a very short period of time, the reason is numbers are abstract and meaningless.
Our brain very easily stores that information which is 3-Dimensional, moving or colourful picture. But historical dates are neither colourful pictures nor a 3-Dimensional moving object. So we have to ‘convert’ them into picture form.
For this purpose I have devised a simple method to deal with numbers and memorise them with ease. This is called PHONETIC METHOD or ALPHA NUMERIC CONVERGENCE. This method will help you in converting a two-digit code into a complete 3-Dimensional moving, colourful picture. Phonetic Method helps you to deal with numbers very easily. In this method, numerals 0 to 9 are represented by specific letters of the alphabet that can be formed into words for which you already have a picture dictionary in your mind. The sequence of these letters is as under.
PHONETIC METHOD
Number Alphabet Explanation
1 t or d Small “t” or “d” has one down stroke
2 n Small “n” requires two down strokes
or the shape of n is similar to 2;
3 m “m” requires three down strokes or the
shape of m is similar to 3.
4 r Four in majority of languages ends
with “r”. In Hindi, it’s Char, in Latin it’s Quarter, in Russian it’s Shutter, etc.
5 l In Roman “L” means 50, here small
“l” means 5
6 j or g The mirror image of “j” is like 6. ch or
sh. The reverse of “g” is like 6. Hindi pronunciation of 6, sounds like ch or sh.
7 k Two sevens can form a “k”.
8 f or v The shape of small “f” (in cursive
writing) is like 8. Two “V “can make one 8.
9 P or b They both look like mirror image and
inverted image of 9.
0 S Sun is round like zero and first
letter of Sun is “S”.
Now this list is complete and you have to create a picture code by combining two digits. For example, when we combine “1” and “5” then a picture or phonetic code will become “ TaiL” and we have ignored “a” and “i” as they are not the part of our language. Similarly, “NaG” for 26, “CaKe” for 77 and so on.
So you have to use these codes to convert each historical date into a 3-Dimensional, moving, colourful picture form and then associate each code with the keyword of the event held on that particular date and visualise in your mind. Below are some of the examples which will make you understand the techniques.
You can also neglect the first part i.e.16th, 17th, 18th or 19th century, if you, as we, are aware of the century of occurrence of the event. First we have to see the Code for the History Dates and make PMS of the event, (underlined words are converted into PMS) then we will make a link between these PMS. Let us see how-
1. DATE– 647
EVENT– Death of Harsha
MEMORY CODE- JeRK
PMS – Your friend Harsha
Mental Picture: Visualize that your friend Harsha died, when you gave him a Jerk.
2. DATE-14 69
EVENT– Birth of Guru Nanak
MEMORY CODE- TyRe – Chips
PMS -Guru Nanak’s photo
Mental Picture: You are sitting in a big TyReon the road and
distributing chips packets to the people, on the eve of Guru Nanak’s
Birthday.
3. DATE-15 76
EVENT- Battle of Haldi Ghati
MEMORY CODE- TaiL – Cash
PMS- Haldi
Mental Picture: Battle in a ground full of Haldi is going onwith TaiL for a lot of Cash.
4. DATE-16 05
EVENT- Death of Akbar
MEMORY CODE– ToSH- Hall
PMS– Akhbar ( Newspaper).
Mental Picture: Visualize that you are eating shahi ToSH in a Hall wrapped in a Akhbar.
5. DATE-16 68
EVENT- First French factory at Surat.
MEMORY CODE – Taj – Chef
PMS- French Fries
Mental Picture:- A Chef is making French fries in a Taj Mahal for the people who have different faces( surat).
6. DATE-19 05
EVENT- Partition of Bengal
MEMORY CODE– Tap – Hall
PMS-Bengali Babu
Mental Picture: You and Bengali Babu both are bathing in a big HaLL with a big TaP.
7. DATE-19 21
EVENT– Election held in Italy, no party won a Majority
MEMORY CODE-TaP – Net
PMS-Idli
Mental Picture: Visualize an election campaigning, the sign is Idli
(Italy) in shape of TaP. You are serving these tap shaped idli to people
and covering those people with a Net so that they don’t run away.
8. DATE-19 21
EVENT– 2 million unemployed persons in Britain
MEMORY CODE-TaP – Net
PMS-Britannia Biscuit
Mental Picture: Visualize unemployed person outside the factory demanding for 2 Britannia Biscuits, but you are offering them TaP and covering them with NeT.
9. DATE- June 19 41
EVENT- Germany attached the Soviet Union
MEMORY CODE- 41- Rat
PMS– Germany- many Germs, Soviet- Sleeping, June -Zoo
Mental Picture: Visualise Rat in Zoo, eating those germs which are sleeping.
10. DATE-17 64
EVENT– Battle of Buxar
MEMORY CODE-DecK – Jar
PMS– ‘Boxer’
Mental Picture:- Make a mental picture that a Boxer is fighting
in a big DecK of a ship wearing Jar on his hands instead of gloves.
11. DATE-16 27
EVENT-Birth of Shivaji
MEMORY CODE– TaJ – Neck
PMS- God Shiva
Mental Picture: Make a Mental picture that God Shiva’s birthdayis being celebrated inside the TaJ Mahal and you are hanging his Neck.
12.DATE-19 41
EVENT-Subhash Chandra Bose escapes from India.
MEMORY CODE-TaP – Rat
PMS– Subhash Chandra Bose
Mental Picture:- Make a mental picture that Subhash Chandra Bose ( picture is known to you) is escaping from India with a Rat and both are enjoying the moment with full of water coming out from a big TaP.
13.DATE-17 99
EVENT– Ranjit Singh occupied Lahore and made it capital.
MEMORY CODE-DecK-Baby
PMS-Ranjit Singh –Ranjit (Actor), Lahore-La- More (bring more).
Mental Picture: Ranjit is removing the DecK from his room because the sound of deck producing a lot of irritation and placing babies instead, and saying La- More babies.
14.DATE-19 71
EVENT-Indo-Soviet agreement
MEMORY CODE-TaP – Cat
PMS– Manmohan Singh & Mr. Putin
Mental Picture: Make a mental picture that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (India) & Mr Putin (Soviet) are signing agreement paper kept on a Cat which is bathing with a TaP.
So by using the PHONETIC METHOD and Association and Imagination process you can memorise 100 historical dates in an hour. In fact by practising these techniques Kanak Singh Chauhan a 8-year old student of class 3rd memorise complete history of 100 years and his name is included in INDIA BOOK OF RECORDS 2007. So, you can also achieve that speed with small practice.
(World Memory Record Holder)
www.memoryboy.blogspot.com