A useful thing to do before memorizing a concept or formula is to ask what problem that concept solved in the first place.
Knowing why people came up with Pi is more useful than memorizing a hundred digits of it.
Thus, knowing the historical context is useful, even in something as abstract as math. If you understand the limited set of tools a person had when solving the problem, you’ll appreciate the ingenuity. A formula turns from a set of symbols into someone’s life’s work.