WD-40 stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try. It was created in 1953 by a company called Rocket Chemical Company, which later became WD-40 Company, Inc. . The original formula was designed to displace water and prevent corrosion on the Atlas missile, which was used by the US military during the Cold War. The formula was so effective that it was soon used for other purposes, such as lubricating and protecting metal parts. Today, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a household name, used in numerous consumer and industrial markets such as automotive, manufacturing, sporting goods, aviation, hardware and home improvement, construction, and farming.