Iconic puzzle celebrates 40th anniversary by challenging a Guinness World Record
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Rubik’s® Cube will attempt to break the record for most people simultaneously solving the iconic puzzle. Canadians across the country are invited to join the YouTube livestream on June 25, 2020 to participate. Those who have not yet mastered the Rubik’s® Cube can hone their skills by accessing virtual solve guides available on the Rubik’s® official website.
“Rubik’s® has long been a staple in the toy industry, but for our 40th anniversary, we wanted to participate in something bigger,” says Christoph Bettin, C.E.O. of Rubik’s®. “This is the first time that Rubik’s® has tried to achieve something of this scale. We are inviting everyone – whether novice or more seasoned – to solve the Rubik’s® Cube together.”
Notable Rubik’s® speedcuber Keaton Ellis will host and lead the livestreamed Cube-solving lesson on June 25, 2020 from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST., in an attempt to break the current world record of 3,997 people simultaneously solving the Cubes. Ellis is known for being able to solve the Cube blindfolded and can solve the 3×3 Cube in 5.08 seconds, which is just shy of the current record of 4.22 seconds. To beat the current record, 20,000 participants will be required to attend the livestream for a minimum of 10 minutes.
“I’m very excited to guide participants at all levels through a virtual Cube-solving experience in hopes of beating the previous Guinness World Record,” says Ellis. “Cube-solving is a perfect educational family activity now that school is out for the summer, and it has the potential to fuel a desire to do more with the Cube in the future.”
In Canada, Rubik’s is honouring its 40th anniversary with a special donation to Breakfast Club of Canada. For every Twisty Puzzle purchased in Canada during the months of June and July, $0.40 cents will be donated to Breakfast Club of Canada to support Canadian children and families who are facing food insecurity now and in the months to come, due to the repercussions of COVID-19. During the pandemic, Breakfast Club of Canada created an Emergency Fund, which has allowed for over $8 million to be given to 900 schools and community organizations across the country.
Rubik’s® has long been engaged in helping novices learn to solve the Cube. Through its “You Can Do the Cube” program, Rubik’s® provides solving kits to students and educators. To date, more than 41,429 kits have been placed in schools and youth organizations around the world, reaching more than 5.6 million youth. When students and teachers are not in school, they can access Cube-solving resources, mosaic templates and lesson plans online for free.To register for the upcoming Guinness World Record event on June 25, 2020 at 3:00-3:30 p.m. interested participants can click here. For those looking to get a head start on their virtual lessons, new solve guides can be found here.
About Rubik’s® Launched globally in 1980, the Rubik’s® Cube quickly became a worldwide craze. Since then, Rubik’s® has gone on to become the best-selling toy in history, selling 450 million units worldwide. It has been widely featured throughout popular culture, including publicly by Justin Bieber, Steven Spielberg, Harry Styles, Cristiano Ronaldo and more. As a STEM-accredited puzzle, the Rubik’s® Cube continues to support brain development and cognitive skills by allowing children and adults to use their creativity, while developing and encouraging intelligence.
About Breakfast Club of Canada Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 243,500 children and youth in 1,809 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org.
