This is a good question. Facts still fall under the context. Think about 1989 as a date - you know a lot of facts around that date. Think now of 1986(Chernobyl) - you also know a some facts about this date. 1504 - not so much(i assume). 2006?

The point is that you can also retain facts if you can connect them to something else. The more link you have the easier it is to retain.

For terminology - this is tricky. Whenever i run into some new terms that i cannot explain into something else, but need to learn the term, i try to use it in written text as much as i can. But whenever i try to refer to it, i refer to it from the explanation - hoping it(brain) will bring me the term. If i use it a lot, it will get cemented.