On this day in 1923, Sir James Dewar, the inventor of the vacuum flask, died.

Dewar's discovery was a by-product of his lifetime's work on cryogenics. However, the flask was not manufactured for commercial or domestic use until 1904 when two German glass blowers formed Thermos GmbH. Dewar also discovered superconductivity and, with Sir Frederick Abel, invented the explosive, cordite.

On 27 March 1625, King James VI died. He was nearly 59 years old when he died and had been monarch for all but one of these years. After James acceded to the English throne, he relocated his court to London where he earned the reputation of being "the wisest fool in Christendom."

Today's recipe: a sweet treat served with a traditional Indian yoghurt drink. Halva served with mango lassi.