Squaring Off With Rubik’s Cube

Todd Coopee

1 Last year, the Rubik’s Cube celebrated its 50th year of frustrating millions. More than 450 million cubes have been sold since its invention in 1974, making it one of the bestselling toys in history. The Rubik’s Cube was named Toy of the Year in 1980 and has won countless awards since. 2 The ‘Rubik’ in Rubik’s Cube is Hungarian professor of architecture Ernő Rubik, who first created his twisty puzzle to teach his students concepts of three-dimensional movement. Rubik spent about a month trying to unscramble his first prototype, which, at the time, he wasn’t sure could even be solved. He called it the Magic Cube. After it became popular around the Budapest College of Applied Arts campus, Rubik decided to pursue a patent. 3 Despite the cube’s overwhelming…

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Reader’s Digest New Zealand (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025 / May 2025

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