History of the Rubik’s cube: from teaching tool to world records
The Rubik’s cube was invented in 1974 by an architecture professor. Here is its story.
The Rubik’s cube is one of the best-selling toys of all time. Yet few know it wasn’t created for play, but for teaching.
1974: an architecture problem
Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian architecture professor, built the cube to teach students about three-dimensional structure. It took him over a month to solve it himself the first time.
The 1980s: a global craze
After it launched internationally as the “Rubik’s Cube”, it became a phenomenon. Hundreds of millions sold, along with countless how-to books.
Today: extraordinary speed
Speedcubing is now an official sport under the World Cube Association (WCA). The 3×3 world record is under 3.2 seconds – faster than it took you to read this sentence.
Technology has advanced, but learning to solve it is the same: understand the structure, learn a few algorithms and practice.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the Rubik’s cube?
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