A Brief History of the Rubik’s Cube

In 1974, Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik wanted to find a way to model three-dimensional movement to his students. At first, he tinkered with blocks of cubes, made from wood and paper, and held by rubber bands, glue, and paper clips. Later he created what he called a Magic Cube.

The Magic Cube was eventually renamed the Rubik's Cube. It became the most popular puzzle toy in the world, inspiring numerous artworks and films, and starting a competitive sport called speedcubing.

At first glance, the cube seems relatively simple, with nine uniformed colored squares on each side. To solve the puzzle, you must twist the cubes so that eventually, each side returns to its original color.

To master the cube, you must learn a set of algorithms. The potential number of variations in a three-by-three-by-three cube is 43 quintillion moves. Some cubes have evolved to a four-by-four-by-four and five-by-five-by-five.