In the early 1950's Norman Lawson was asked to come up with something for the US Navy that would prevent corrosion. After experimenting with various formulas, he perfected his mixture on his 40th attempt, hence, the name Water Displacement 40th formula or WD-40 for short. To this day WD-40's formula remains a trade secret, the product was not patented to avoid revealing its composition, and it has not changed over the years. For over 60 years WD-40 has been protecting metal from corrosion, releasing stuck parts, displacing moisture and lubricating almost anything.
