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.
The Rubik's Revenge is a 4×4×4 version of the Rubik's Cube. It was released in 1981. Invented by Péter Sebestény, the cube was nearly called the Sebestény Cube until a somewhat last-minute decision changed the puzzle's name to attract fans of the original Rubik's Cube. Unlike the original puzzle, it has no fixed faces: the center faces are free to move to different positions.
Speedcubing, also referred to as speedsolving, is a competitive sport centered around the rapid solving of various combination puzzles. The most prominent puzzle in this category is the 3x3x3 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, or more generally as "cubers". The essential aspect of solving these puzzles typically involves executing a series of predefined algorithms in a particular sequence.
The Professor's Cube is a 5×5×5 version of the original Rubik's Cube. It has qualities in common with both the 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube and the 4×4×4 Rubik's Revenge, and solution strategies for both can be applied.
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.
Shotaro Makisumi is best known for setting several world records for speedcubing, or quickly solving 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 10,000 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.
Bob Burton is an American speedcuber, most famous for competing in and organizing competitions all over the world and his former world records on the Rubik's Magic and Rubik's Master Magic.
Édouard Chambon (Valence), born 19 August 1986, is a French software engineer who was world record holder for fastest single time on a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube with a time of 9.18 seconds and fastest average time of 11.48 seconds. These records were set at the Murcia Open on 23 February 2008.
Christopher Michael Hardwick is an American competitive speedcuber.
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.
Mátyás Kuti is a Hungarian Rubik's Cube and Rubik's Magic solver. During 2007 and 2008 he held world records in many events. However, in February 2008, after determining that he had cheated in blindfolded events by peeking at the cube, the World Cube Association revoked all of his blindfold records and banned him for three years from WCA competitions.
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.
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.
Drew Brads is an American Rubik's cube speedsolver.
Collin Burns is a speedcuber from the United States who formerly held the world record for solving the Rubik’s cube in 5.25 seconds.
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.
Max Park is an American Rubik's Cube speedsolver who currently holds the world record for the fastest 3x3x3 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 4x4x4 solve, 5x5x5 solve, 6x6x6 solve, and 7x7x7 solve.
Sebastian Weyer is a German Rubik's Cube speedsolver who specializes in 4x4x4 solving. Weyer has broken the 4x4x4 single solve world record 9 times and the average of five solves record 9 times. He set his first world record on 1 May 2011.
Sean Patrick Villanueva is a Filipino speedcuber who is the reigning World Cube Association 3×3×3 one-handed world champion who won the title in Incheon, South Korea in August 2023 with an average time of 9.42 seconds. He previously held the Asian Record for 3x3x3 one-handed average at 8.64 seconds, which he set at Santa Cruz Speedcubing 2024 in Santa Cruz, Laguna on January 28, 2024. He currently holds the 3x3x3 one-handed world record average with a time of 8.09 seconds, set on May 26, 2024 at Quezon City Open II 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines.
