Rubik's Cube

Rubik's Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. It is a plastic cube comprising 26 smaller cubes that rotate around a typically unseen kernel. Each of the nine visible facets on a side of the Rubik's Cube exhibits one of six colors. When the puzzle is solved, each side of the Rubik's Cube is a different color, but the rotation of each face allows the smaller cubes to be rearranged in many different ways. The challenge of the puzzle is to return the cube to its original state, in which each face of the cube consists of nine squares of a single color.

History

Conception and development

The Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Ern? Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture with an interest in geometry and the study of 3D forms. Ern? obtained Hungarian patent HU170062 for the "Magic Cube" in 1975, but did not take out international patents. The first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toyshops.

Related Topics:
1974 - Ern? Rubik - Hungarian - 1975 - 1977 - Budapest

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The Cube slowly grew in popularity throughout Hungary as word of mouth spread. Western academics also showed interest in it. In September 1979, a deal was reached with Ideal Toys to release the Magic Cube internationally. It made its international debut at the toy fairs of London, New York, Nuremberg, and Paris in early 1980. Ideal Toys renamed it "Rubik's Cube", and the first batch was exported from Hungary in May 1980.

Related Topics:
Word of mouth - Western - 1979 - Ideal Toys - London - New York - Nuremberg - Paris - 1980

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"Rubik's Cube" is a trademark of Seven Towns Limited. Ideal Toys was somewhat reluctant to produce the toy for that reason, and indeed clones appeared almost immediately. In 1984, Ideal Toys lost a patent infringement suit by Larry Nichols for his patent US3655201. http://tinyurl.com/c3b8a Terutoshi Ishigi acquired Japanese patent JP55‒8192 for a nearly identical mechanism while Rubik's patent was being processed, but Ishigi is generally credited with an independent reinvention. http://cubeman.vg-network.com/cchrono.txt http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa040497.htm

Related Topics:
Larry Nichols - Terutoshi Ishigi

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Popularity

The Rubik's Cube reached its height of popularity during the early 1980s. Over 100 million cubes were sold in the period from 1980 to 1982. http://www.rubiks.com/lvl3/index_lvl3.cfm?lan=eng&lvl1=inform&lvl2=medrel&lvl3=cubfct It won the BATR Toy of the Year award in 1980, and again in 1981. Many similar puzzles were released shortly after the Rubik's Cube, both from Rubik himself and from other sources, including the Rubik's Revenge, a 4×4×4 version of the Rubik's Cube. There are also 2×2×2 and 5×5×5 cubes (known as the Pocket Cube and the Rubik's Professor, respectively), and puzzles in other shapes, such as the Pyraminx, a tetrahedron.

Related Topics:
1980s - 1980 - 1982 - BATR Toy of the Year - Rubik's Revenge - Pocket Cube - Rubik's Professor - Pyraminx - Tetrahedron

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In 1981, Patrick Bossert, a 12-year-old schoolboy from Britain, published his own solution in a book called You Can Do the Cube (ISBN 0140314830). The book sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in 17 editions and became the number one book on both The Times and the New York Times bestseller lists for 1981.

Related Topics:
1981 - Patrick Bossert - Britain - The Times - ''New York Times'' bestseller list

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At the height of the puzzle's popularity, separate sheets of colored stickers were sold so that frustrated or impatient people could restore their cube to its original appearance.

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From 1983 to 1984, Hanna-Barbera produced 12 episodes of Rubik, The Amazing Cube, a Saturday morning cartoon based upon the toy, which aired on ABC as part of "The Pac-Man/Rubik, Amazing Cube Hour".

Related Topics:
1983 - 1984 - Hanna-Barbera - Saturday morning cartoon - ABC

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It has been suggested that the international appeal and export achievement of the Cube became one of the contributing factors in the reform and liberalization of the Hungarian economy between 1981 and 1985, which finally led to the move from communism to capitalism. http://www.rubiks.com/lvl3/index_lvl3.cfm?lan=eng&lvl1=inform&lvl2=medrel&lvl3=cubfct, although some sociologists disagree.

Related Topics:
Hungarian economy - 1981 - 1985 - Communism - Capitalism

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