Ruthenium was discovered by Karl Karlovich Klaus, a Russian chemist, in 1844 while analyzing the residue of a sample of platinum ore obtained from the Ural mountains. Apparently, Jedrzej Sniadecki, a Polish chemist, had produced ruthenium in 1807 but he withdrew his claim of discovery after other scientists failed to replicate his results. Ruthenium tends to occur along with deposits of platinum and is primarily obtained as a byproduct of mining and refining platinum. Ruthenium is also obtained as a byproduct of the nickel mining operation in the Sudbury region of Ontario, Canada.

Ruthenium is primarily used as an alloying agent. Adding 0.1% ruthenium to titanium makes titanium 100 times more resistant to corrosion. Small amounts of ruthenium are added to platinum and palladium to strengthen them. These alloys are used in jewelry and in electrical contacts that must resist wear.