Do you remember the Rubik’s Cube? Believe it or not, it recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. I personally could never solve the cube unless I pulled off the colored stickers and rearranged them. When I tried to work it the proper way, I usually got frustrated after a few minutes and quit. However, over the years, millions have had fun solving the mystery of the Rubik’s Cube. Some believe it is the most popular selling toy ever, with over 100 million sold (including both the original and imitations).
The Rubik’s Cube was actually invented in 1974 by Hungarian professor Erno Rubik. The cube was originally known as the Magic Cube but was renamed and manufactured as the Rubik’s Cube in 1980. The Cube became an overnight success in America. By 1981, a book written by twelve-year-old Patrick Bossert called You Can Do the Cube sold over 1.5 million and went to number one on the New York Times bestseller list. By 1982, the first Rubik’s Cube World Championship was held in Budapest. From 1983 to 1984, ABC aired a cartoon called Rubik, The Amazing Cube on Saturday mornings. It shared the billing with another craze of the time as part of The Pac-Man/Rubik, Amazing Cube Hour.
If you think the Rubik’s Cube craze has died down since the early 80’s, think again. Here are a few fast facts:
- In January 2006, a California Institute of Technology student set a new record for solving the puzzle. Levan Lo solved the Rubik’s Cube in only 11.13 seconds.
- Over 50,000 web pages mention the Rubik’s Cube.
- A recent market survey taken in the United States showed that over 85% of the residents are familiar with the Rubik name.
- The 2005 Rubik’s Cube World Championship was held in the United States for the first time (Disney World in November 2005).
- The 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube has 43 quintillion possible configurations. (I am sure I went through about 20 million – all wrong)
So now, people that were not even born when the craze first started are carrying on the tradition of solving the cube. If you are feeling nostalgic for a cube, purchase one online at Amazon.com.