Rubik's Cube Fact

• It has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible combinations on its six faces


• It has only one solution


• More than 350,000,000 Cubes sold worldwide


• Invented in 1974 but not exported from Hungary until 1980


• A standard 3x3 Rubik’s cube measures 2¼ inches (5.7cm) on each side


• It has 39,600 entries on YouTube


• The first international 'speedcubing’ championship was held in Hungary in 1982 and was won by Los Angeles student Minh Thai with a time of 22.95 seconds.


• The current British 'speedcubing’ champion is Breandan McElhill, 16, from Ayrshire with an unofficial personal best time of 7.9 seconds.


• The current world 'speedcubing’ champion is Dutch teenager Eric Akkersdijk with an official time of 7.08 seconds.


• Variations on 'speedcubing’ include solving the cube with a single hand, with feet, blindfolded or underwater in a single breath. The British blindfold 'speedcube’ champion is Joey Gouly, 17, from Leeds with a time of 48 seconds.


• The slowest solver is thought to be Graham Parker, 45, a builder from Portchester, Hants, who finished his Cube earlier this month 26 years after he bought it. “When I clicked that last bit into place and each face was a solid colour I wept,” he said.