Consider the difference between memorizing a few friends' birthdays, versus learning to ride a bicycle. Several things we learn and remember are not processed by the same neural mechanism. There are different categories of memory, as the following examples:

Declarative memory (memory for facts and events), is the memory of dates, historical facts, telephone numbers, etc.

Procedural memory (memory for procedures and abilities), is the ability to drive a car, to play football, to tie your shoe strings or your tie, etc.

The memory for dates (historical or other events) is easier to build, but it is easily lost or forgotten, while the memory for skills learning might require a repetitive practice.

Contd. Human Memory: What it is and How to Improve It
By: Silvia Helena Cardoso, PhD
In: Brain & MInd