One of the top-selling toys in history has an unlikely origin: It was invented in a Communist country in the 1970s and includes elements of mathematics, art, physics, and engineering. The toy in question is the enduringly popular Rubik’s Cube. This beautifully designed and challenging puzzle has captivated and entertained generations of adults and children since its introduction. In fact, it’s been estimated that Rubik’s Cube has been played by over a billion people—approximately one out of every eight individuals in the world
Ernő Rubik
The Rubik’s Cube phenomenon began with its inventor, Ernő Rubik, who was born on July 13, 1944—near the end of World War II—in Budapest, Hungary. As a child, Rubik spent hours playing with puzzles and coming up with strategies to solve them. In school, his favorite subject was math, especially geometry. He loved solving interesting geometrical problems, which he had a gift for visualizing.
As a teenager Rubik attended art school, where he studied sculpture. By the time he graduated in 1962, he had decided not to become an artist. Instead, he enrolled at Budapest’s University of Technology, where he majored in architecture. When he finished college, he furthered his education by attending the Hungarian College of Applied Arts. Even before his degree was completed, Rubik became a faculty member, teaching architecture and
