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Rubik's Cube or (informally) Rubix Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. more...

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The plastic cube comes in four widely available versions: the 2×2×2 ("Pocket Cube"), the 3×3×3 standard cube, the 4×4×4 ("Rubik's Revenge"), 5×5×5 ("Professor's Cube"). 6×6×6 and 7×7×7 cubes are currently being produced. The 3×3×3 version, which is the version usually meant by the term "Rubik's Cube," has nine square faces on each side, for a total area of fifty-four faces, and occupies the volume of twenty-six unit cubes (not counting the invisible cube in the centre). Typically, the faces of the Cube are covered by stickers in six solid colors, one for each side of the Cube. When the puzzle is solved, each side of the Cube is a solid color. The original 3×3×3 version celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2005, when a special edition Cube in a presentation box was released, featuring a sticker in the centre of the white face (which was replaced with a reflective surface) with a "Rubik's Cube 1980-2005" logo.

Originally called the Magic Cube by its inventor, it was renamed Rubik's Cube in 1980 and released worldwide in May of that year, winning a Spiel des Jahres special award for Best Puzzle. It is said to be the world's best-selling toy, with some 300,000,000 Rubik's Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.

History

Conception and development

The Magic Cube was invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture with an interest in geometry and the study of three-dimensional forms. Ernő 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 toy shops.

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.

The progress of the Cube towards the toy shop shelves of the West was then briefly halted so that it could be manufactured to Western safety and packaging specifications. A lighter Cube was produced, and Ideal Toys decided to rename it. "The Gordian Knot" and "Inca Gold" were considered, but the company finally decided on "Rubik's Cube," and the first batch was exported from Hungary in May 1980.

Taking advantage of an initial shortage of Cubes, many cheap imitations appeared. In 1984, Ideal lost a patent infringement suit by Larry Nichols for his patent US3655201. 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.

Read more at Wikipedia.org