The story of the Rubik's Cube begins in 1974, when hungarian architect Ernő Rubik, who was also a professor of design, invented the first Rubik's cube. Originally, the purpose of creating the cube, was to help Ernő's students understand three-dimensional geometry and spatial transformations. The early version, constructed from wood and elastic bands, was called the Magic Cube. It took around a month before the inventor managed to solve the cube.
Rubik received a Hungarian patent for his invention in 1975. At first, he did not even realize that the cube could be solved. Finally, he found a way to solve the cube. This personal challenge became the foundation for one of the world's most iconic puzzles. Ernő Rubik couldn't have thought, that his cube will become the world's best-selling toy
In 1977, the Magic Cube production started in Hungary. Its popularity was expanding rapidly, gaining the attention of toy community and international toy companies. In 1980, the puzzle was licensed to the Ideal Toy Corporation and rebranded as the Rubik's Cube. Within months, it became a global sensation.
By the early 1980s, the cube could be found everywhere. It appeared on television shows, in magazines, and in classrooms. Rubik's cube became a part of daily life of many people. More than 100 million cubes were sold in just a few years.
The Rubik's Cube became an iconic part of the 1980s culture. The popularity of the puzzle led to inventions of new solving methods. As a result, many books that taught solving Rubik's Cube appeared, such as "The Simple Solution to Rubik's Cube". It was sold in millions of copies. In 1982, the first official Rubik's Cube World Championship was held in Budapest. 19 participants came for the competition from 16 different countries. Minh Thai from the United States won with an average of 22.95 seconds.
However, as the decade progressed, the initial popularity began to decline, but the puzzle never completely disappeared. Enthusiasts and mathematicians continued to analize it. It remained as a symbol of intellectual challenge.
At the turn of the 1990s and early 2000s, interest in the Rubik's Cube has risen. The internet allowed communities of puzzle lovers to share their passion. It provided them with the opportunity to exchange new ideas how to solve the cube. A new generation of speedcubers emerged with fresh energy and willingness to break Rubik's cube records.
In 2004, the World Cube Association (WCA) was founded to organize competitions and regulate official results and records all over the world. It was the beginning of the wide growth of speedcubing, which started to be considered as international sport. Thousands of competitions started to take place every year. New solving methods appeared, such as CFOP, which is now commonly used by the best competitors.
With evolution of speedcubing, came evolution of the cube itself. Manufacturers invented new high-quality, stickerless designs. magnetic cubes, which improved stability, became extremely common. Sspecialized lubricants were introduced to make turning faster and smoother. These innovations allowed speedcubers to constantly push human abilities and break new Rubik's Cube records.
After the success of 3x3x3 cube, companies started to look for new variations of the cube. As a result, a lot of variations appeared: 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, Pyraminx, Megaminx, Skewb, Square-1, Clock. In today's world, there are countles variations, which are not so popular, such as bigger cubes like 15x15x15. New inventions, are still appearing, inspired by the endless creativity of the human brain.
Speedcubing records have been been dropping regularly since the first competition. The first world champion in 1982 solved the cube in about 23 seconds . Now (september 2025), world record is 3.05 set by Xuanyi Geng from China.
There are also records for 17 other official categories including blindfolded solves, one-handed solves, feet solves (now retired). The cube has become not just a toy, but a highly competitive discipline.
Today, the Rubik's Cube became a global cultural icon. It is considered to be more than just a puzzle. It appears in movies, art and even in scientific research. The cube has been used to teach problem-solving, memory techniques, and mathematical group theory. It is the inspiration for millions of people worldwide.
Till this day, More than 350 million cubes have been sold, making it one of the most popular toys of all time. What began as a teaching tool invented by Hungarian architect, has become a timeless symbol of creativity and perseverance.