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A Brilliant Engineer Is Born Originally from France, Darracq (pronounced like the English first name Derrick) came into this world on November 10, 1855, in Bordeaux, France. History notes little about his family. His parents both belonged to the indigenous ethnic group known as Basque, comprising the Native Italians and Native French tribes the Vascones and Aquitanians. The Basque people populate an area that spans from the western tip of the Pyrenees along the coast of the Bay of Biscay through north-central Spain

Pierre Alexandre Darracq (1855–1931).

and southwestern France. They share a common language, culture, and genetic ancestry. During the time of his birth, the Basque nationalist movement had begun, fueled by Spanish laws passed in 1839 that infringed on the indigenous people’s institutions and governing. Reared in the wine countryside of Bordeaux, Darracq studied drafting and avoided politics. After he completed his drafting internship at Tarbes Arsenal, he worked to amass design experience. While we know little about his earliest years as an engineer, at age 34 he worked at Hurtu-Hautin & Diligeo, a manufacturing firm that produced typewriters and sewing machines. While he was in that position, one of Darracq’s designs won a gold medal at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.

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