About Ernő Rubik
Ernő Rubik (Hungarian: [ˈrubik ˈɛrnøː]; born 13 July 1944) is a Hungarian architect and inventor widely known for creating the Rubik's Cube (1974), Rubik's Magic, and Rubik's Snake. Rubik studied sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest and architecture at the Technical University, likewise located in Budapest. While a professor of design at the academy, he pursued his hobby of building geometric models. One of these was a prototype of his cube, made of 27 wooden blocks; it took Rubik a month to solve the cube after scrambling it. It proved a useful tool for teaching algebraic group theory, and in late 1977, Konsumex, Hungary's state trading company, began marketing it. By 1980, Rubik's Cube was marketed throughout the world, and over 100 million authorized units were sold, mostly during its subsequent three years of popularity. Approximately 50 books were published describing how to solve the puzzle of Rubik's Cube. Following his cube's popularity, Rubik opened a studio to develop designs in 1984; among its products was another popular puzzle toy, Rubik's Magic. Recently, Rubik has been involved with several organizations that promote science and math learning to children, such as the Rubik Learning Initiative and the Judit Polgar Foundation. Ernő Rubik (Hungarian:; born 13 July 1944) is a Hungarian architect and inventor, widely known for creating the Rubik's Cube (1974), Rubik's Magic, and Rubik's Snake. While Rubik became famous for inventing the Rubik's Cube and his other puzzles, much of his recent work involves the promotion of science in education. It was during his time there that he built designs for a three-dimensional puzzle and completed the first working prototype of the Rubik's Cube in 1974, applying for a patent on the puzzle in 1975. The Rubik's Cube became an instant success worldwide, won several Toy of the Year awards, and became a staple of 1980s popular culture.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.