Rubik's Cube

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ernő Rubik was a professor of design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest when he pursued his hobby of building geometric models. One of these was a prototype of his cube, made of 27 wooden blocks; it took Rubik a month to solve the cube after scrambling it. He applied for a patent on the puzzle in 1975. The cube proved a useful tool for teaching algebraic group theory, and in late 1977, Konsumex, Hungary's state trading company, began marketing it. Rubik originally used wood for the block because of the convenience of a workshop at the university and because he viewed wood as a simple material to work with. He made the original prototypes by hand, cutting the wood, boring the holes and using elastic bands to hold the contraption together. Rubik showed his prototype to his class and his students liked it very much. He realized that because of the cube's simple structure, it could be manufactured relatively easily and might have appeal to a larger audience. Rubik then set out to find a manufacturer in Hungary, but had great difficulty due to the rigid planned economy of communist Hungary at the time. Eventually, Rubik was able to find a small company that worked with plastic and made chess pieces. The process from early prototype to mass production of the Cube had taken over six years.

Reader's Guide

The Rubik's Cube reached the height of its mainstream popularity in the 1980s. By 1980, Rubik's Cube was marketed throughout the world, and over 100 million authorized units were sold, mostly during its subsequent three years of popularity. Approximately 50 books were published describing how to solve the puzzle of Rubik's Cube. The cube's internal pivot mechanism enables each layer to turn independently. For the puzzle to be solved, each face must be returned to having only one colour. The cube has inspired similar puzzles with various numbers of sides, dimensions, and mechanisms. Following his cube's popularity, Rubik opened a studio to develop designs in 1984; among its products was another popular puzzle toy, Rubik's Magic. Rubik is also the inventor of Rubik's Snake and Rubik's 360 along with several others. Recently, Rubik has been involved with several organizations that promote science and math learning to children, such as the Rubik Learning Initiative and the Judit Polgar Foundation.

Did You Know?

• Ernő Rubik's original prototype was made of 27 wooden blocks, and it took him a month to solve the cube after scrambling it.
• The cube was originally known in Hungary as the Magic Cube before Ideal Toys rebranded it as the Rubik's Cube in 1980.
• Over 100 million authorized units were sold by 1980, mostly during its subsequent three years of popularity.
• Approximately 50 books were published describing how to solve the puzzle of Rubik's Cube.
• Rubik's father, also named Ernő Rubik, was a flight engineer and a highly respected engineer of gliders.