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History and Anatomy of the Rubik's Cube

History​

The Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube," it was licensed to the Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 and renamed "Rubik's Cube."

Basic Structure​

The standard Rubik's Cube is a 3×3×3 cube, meaning it has:

  • 6 faces/sides
  • 26 smaller cubes (called "cubies")
  • 54 colored stickers/tiles

The Six Faces​

The traditional color scheme is:

  • White (usually opposite yellow)
  • Red (usually opposite orange)
  • Blue (usually opposite green)

Center Pieces​

  • There are 6 center pieces
  • They never move relative to each other
  • They determine the color of each face when solved

Understanding the Mechanics​

The cube can be rotated along three axes:

  • Front to back
  • Left to right
  • Top to bottom

This understanding is crucial for learning to solve the cube and following notation instructions.