The Rubik’s Cube, invented in 1974, has more possible combinations than there are stars in the observable universe — 43 quintillion, according to Cubelelo.
Since its inception, the Rubik’s Cube has become a global phenomenon. In 2024, it’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of its launch.
Erno Rubik, the puzzle’s inventor, was the first to solve it, taking a month to do so.
Many have attempted to solve the puzzle, with numerous people recognizing its difficulty. For many, solving it quickly is a mark of prestige, and competitions worldwide put participants to the test.
The current world record for the fastest solve on the standard 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube is held by Max Park, who clocked in at 3.13 seconds in 2023 at the Pride in Long Beach competition, according to the World Cube Association.
The previous record was set five years before by China’s Yusheng Du at 3.47 seconds, per NPR. He also holds the record for most of the other cube events, including the 7x7x7, which he solved in 1:35.68 minutes.
Park was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism as a child and his mother used the puzzle to help him develop his his motor and social skills.
“His mother thought it might work as a tool to help socialization between mom and Max and to try to help them develop his finger strengths,” Schwan Park, his father, told NPR.
Spin Master, the company that owns the rights to the Rubik’s Cube, reported sales of 6 million units, generating $75.3 million in 2022, per CNBC.
“Rubik’s isn’t just a toy,” Sam Susz, senior director of global marketing for Spin Master, told CNBC. “It’s art. It’s a sport. It’s science. It’s math.”
The puzzle was partially created by accident. Rubik initially conceived it to help students understand three-dimensional movement. After scrambling it for the first time, he realized its potential as a puzzle.
“I thought, if I can’t do it, nobody else can do it, or very few can do it,” Rubik told CNBC. “That was proof that it was possible to put in the market, to demonstrate it to the public.”