What type of long-term memory is responsible for storing personal life events?

Episodic memory is the type of long-term memory that is specifically responsible for storing personal life events. It includes the ability to recall experiences and specific events that one has personally encountered, along with the context in which those events occurred—such as the time and place. For example, remembering your first day of school or a recent family vacation would fall into episodic memory.

This type of memory allows individuals to mentally "travel back in time" to relive those moments, making it distinct from other types of memory. While semantic memory pertains to general knowledge and facts that aren't tied to personal experiences, procedural memory includes skills and tasks that have been learned (like riding a bike), and declarative memory encompasses both episodic and semantic memory but doesn’t specifically refer to personal events. Thus, episodic memory's unique focus on personal experiences is what makes it the correct answer in this context.