The Rubik's Cube is a 3D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Pentangle Puzzles in the UK in 1978, and then by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer. The cube was released internationally in 1980 and became one of the most recognized icons in popular culture. It won the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle. As of January 2024, around 500 million cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the world's bestselling puzzle game and bestselling toy. The Rubik's Cube was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2014.
Speedcubing, also referred to as speedsolving, is a competitive mind sport centered around the rapid solving of various combination puzzles. The most prominent puzzle in this category is the N×N×N (n=3) puzzle, commonly known as the Rubik's Cube. Participants in this sport are known as "speedcubers", who focus specifically on solving these puzzles at high speeds to get low times. The essential aspect of solving these puzzles typically involves executing a series of predefined algorithms in a particular sequence with eidetic prediction and finger tricks.
The Rubik's Clock is a mechanical puzzle invented and patented by Christopher C. Wiggs and Christopher J. Taylor. The Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik bought the patent from them to market the product under his name. It was first marketed in 1988.
The Megaminx or Mégaminx is a dodecahedron-shaped puzzle similar to the Rubik's Cube. It has a total of 50 movable pieces to rearrange, compared to the 20 movable pieces of the Rubik's Cube.
The World Cube Association (WCA) is the worldwide non-profit organization that regulates and holds competitions for mechanical puzzles that are operated by twisting groups of pieces, commonly known as twisty puzzles. The most famous of those puzzles is the Rubik's Cube. Since the start of the WCA there have been over 11,700 competitions. The WCA was founded by Ron van Bruchem of the Netherlands and Tyson Mao of the United States in 2004. The goal of the World Cube Association is to have "more competitions in more countries with more people and more fun, under fair and equal conditions." In 2017, they started work to become a non-profit organization and on November 20, 2017, the state of California accepted the initial registration of the World Cube Association.
Ron van Bruchem is a Dutch speedcuber living in Hilversum. He helped create the current resurge of Rubik's Cube enthusiasm by founding the international speedcubing community and organizing international competitions. He is also a founder, delegate and former chairman of the World Cube Association, an organization aiming at the spread of speedcubing as a regulated sport. He is also the host of the website speedcubing.com.
Yu Nakajima is a Japanese Rubik's Cube solver.
Eric Limeback is a Canadian speedcuber. He is known for his 11/11 3x3x3 multiblindfold Canadian record solve, as well as his standard 3x3x3 blindfolded solving. Limeback was the first Canadian to record a sub-30 second official 3x3x3 blindfolded solve. Limeback began solving the Rubik's Cube in 9th grade. He graduated from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in 2010. He formerly held the Guinness World Record for the most 3x3x3 cubes solved in 24 hours, 5800, set from 3–4 October 2013 at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
Rowe Hessler is a two-time former speedcubing U.S. Champion, runner-up World Champion in 2011, and runner-up North American Champion in 2024. He held the North American record for the average of 5 Rubik's Cube solves almost continuously from 2009 to 2014, during which time the record dropped from 11.11 seconds to 8.27 seconds. As of August 2024, his 3x3x3 Multi-Blind personal record of 61/66 cubes in 58:29 ranks him 2nd in the world. Hessler is also known for his past expertise in the 2x2x2 event, having set the former world record in 2009 with an average time of 2.45 seconds. In October 2009, he was crowned World Champion in the 2x2x2 event. Rowe is also an expert in other blindfolded events, being ranked 31st for 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 26th for 4x4x4 Blindfolded, and 22nd for 5x5x5 Blindfolded, all as of August 2024.
Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs is an Australian Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He is one of the only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, winning in 2013 and 2015, and is widely considered the most successful and greatest speedcuber of all time. He has set more than 350 records across various speedcubing events: 121 world records, 214 continental records, and 7 national records.
The 1982 World Rubik's Cube Championship was a competition for speedsolving the 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube.
Gilles Roux is a French speedcuber primarily known for inventing a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube method, the Roux Method, and achieving fast times with it.
The Songdo Convensia Convention Center is the first project completed in Songdo IBD and opened for business on October 7, 2008. Its innovative design by KPF and Baum elicits thoughts of the Sydney Opera House and is already a landmark structure in Korea. The main exhibition hall has one of the largest column-free spans in Asia. Donated to the City of Incheon by Gale International and POSCO E&C and managed by Incheon Tourism Organization, Songdo Convensia now hosts international conferences, trade shows and meetings, and has even become a popular filming location for commercials and music videos.
Mats Valk is a Dutch Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He broke the Rubik's cube single solve world record twice with times of 5.55 seconds in 2013 and 4.74 seconds in 2016. He won the Rubik's Cube European Championship in 2018 and was runner-up for 3x3x3 at the Rubik's Cube World Championships in 2013 and 2015.
Vincent Sheu is an American speedcuber or Rubik's Cube solver from Saratoga, California known for organizing World Cube Association competitions and setting world records in both the Fewest Moves event and the 2x2x2 single solve. He currently serves as a Director and Delegate for the World Cube Association (WCA) and has been an organizer of every annual US Nationals Cubing Competition since 2010. Sheu previously served as the first Chair of the WCA's Regulations Committee with Lucas Garron from 2012 to 2015, directing a complete redrafting of the official competition regulations and guidelines during his tenure. He has received media attention as the subject of several viral images and video clips at various college sporting events.
Kevin Hays is a former professional American Rubik's Cube speedcuber. Recognized as an expert at solving big cubes, he has won 6 world championship titles and set 21 world records across the three events. He has also set 47 North American records and won 21 US National titles.
Krishnam Raju Gadiraju is an Indian speedcuber and unicyclist. He is a six-time world record holder and the first Indian to ever set a world record in speedcubing and unicycling.
Max Park is an American Rubik's Cube speedsolver who currently holds the world record for the fastest 3×3×3 Rubik's cube single solve, set in June of 2023 at 3.13 seconds. He is one of the only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, winning in 2017 and 2023. He also currently holds the world records for the 4×4×4 solve, 5×5×5 solve, 6×6×6 solve, and 7×7×7 solve.
Prithveesh K. Bhat or Prathvish K. Bhat is an Indian Rubik's Cube speedcuber and mosaic artist. He has set several Rubik's Cube records, including two Guinness World Records namely ′Largest Dual Sided Rubik’s Cube Mosaic′, leading a team of 20 members and ′Most contributions to a Rubik's cube mosaic′, leading a team of 293 people.
Yiheng Wang is a Chinese competitive speedcuber who has set multiple world records solving the Rubik's Cube. He has been noted for his high level of success at a very young age, breaking his first world record at age 9.
