Rubik's Cube

The Rubik's Cube is a famous puzzle made of small colored squares. Each side of the cube has nine squares. The goal is to twist and turn the cube until every side is one solid color.

Who Invented the Rubik's Cube?

The Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian professor named Erno Rubik. He was a teacher of architecture and design. He made the cube to help his students understand 3D shapes.

At first, even Rubik himself could not solve his own puzzle. It took him about a month to figure it out. When the cube was sold as a toy, it became one of the best-selling puzzles in history.

Solving the Cube

The Rubik's Cube can be arranged in over 43 quintillion different ways. That is the number 43 followed by 18 zeros! But any scrambled cube can be solved in 20 moves or fewer.

There are competitions called speedcubing events. The fastest solvers can finish the puzzle in under four seconds. Some people can even solve it blindfolded or with just one hand.

Fun Facts

• There are over 43 quintillion possible ways to scramble a Rubik's Cube.
• The world record for solving a Rubik's Cube is under four seconds.
• More than 450 million Rubik's Cubes have been sold worldwide.

Did You Know?

It took the inventor, Erno Rubik, about one month to solve his own puzzle for the first time.