The Rubik's Cube is a 3D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik, featuring 6 faces covered by 9 stickers (or plastic tiles) of six solid colors. With quintillion possible arrangements, the goal is to manipulate the layers to return it to a state where each face has only one color. It is solved using algorithms (sequences of moves) in a layer-by-layer method, typically starting with a white cross and finishing with the top layer.