Born from Cold War necessity, WD-40's creation involved 39 failed attempts by engineer Norm Larsen to protect Atlas missile ...

The year is 1953. Rocket Chemical, a struggling company in San Diego, sets out to create a rust-preventive solvent that can displace water. On the 40th attempt (note: 39 failures), they nailed it.

Did you know that WD-40 actually stands for “Water Displacement, 40th Formula?” The common household “fix-it-all” was first created in 1953, and it was originally made to prevent rust on rockets. Now, ...

WD-40's journey began in 1953 with chemist Norm Larsen's quest to protect Atlas missile components from rust. The product's ...