Rubik's Cube production officially returns to Hungary after more than 50 years

Rubik’s Cube production is returning to Hungary, more than 50 years after Hungarian architect, sculptor and professor Ernő Rubik created the famous puzzle. A new fully automated production line was inaugurated in the city of Jászberény, with the aim of manufacturing one million cubes annually.

“Hungary is the home of the cube. The cube was born here,” said 82-year-old Ernő Rubik at the inauguration ceremony. The production line uses robotic arms to assemble the cubes and test their functionality and durability.

Rubik created the first prototype in 1974, while teaching design at the Academy of Design in Budapest. The wooden cube had 27 pieces and could be rotated along several axes. The first 5,000 units, marketed under the name “Magic Cube,” were sold in Hungary beginning in 1977.

After licensing the puzzle to companies in the United Kingdom and the United States, production moved abroad. Approximately 200 million cubes were sold between 1980 and 1983, while the total later exceeded 500 million. Although its popularity declined after the initial wave, the puzzle continues to sell millions of units annually and attract participants to international competitions. The latest world record is 2.51 seconds.