| 7 October 1337 | France [Hundred Years War (1337–1453)] | King Edward III of England claims the French crown through his mother, Isabella of France, daughter of Philip IV. |
| 7 October 1826 | Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire, Serbia [political events] | The Akkerman Convention settles the problem of the Danubian provinces (Moldavia and Wallachia) and Serbia, with the Turks evacuating key fortresses and allowing Russia full access to the Dardanelles. |
| 7 October 1849 | USA [births and deaths] | Edgar Allan Poe, US poet, critic, and short-story writer, dies in Baltimore, Maryland (40). |
| 7 October 1862 | Prussia [administration] | The Prussian diet (state assembly) again rejects an increase in the military budget and is adjourned, so that Chancellor Otto von Bismarck rules without a budget for four years. |
| 7 October 1900 | Germany [births and deaths] | Heinrich Himmler, German Nazi leader, head of the SS, and organizer of the Nazi death camps, born in Munich, Germany (–1945). |
| 7 October 1908 | Crete [political events] | In response to events in Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ottoman possession of Crete announces its union with Greece. |
| 7 October 1928 | Ethiopia [political events] | The modernizing Ras (prince) Tafari becomes negus (king) of Ethiopia on the death of Hapta Giorgis. He retains the position of regent and heir apparent to the empress Zauditu. |
| 7 October 1928 | USA [elections] | The Republican candidate Herbert Hoover wins the US presidential election with 444 electoral votes against Alfred E Smith, Democrat, with 87; the popular vote is Hoover, 21,391,381; Smith, 15,016,443; and Norman Thomas (Socialist), 267,835. In US Congressional elections, Republicans retain majorities in the House (267–167) and Senate (56–39). |
| 7 October 1931 | [births and deaths] | Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican bishop, a vigorous opponent of apartheid, born in Klerksdorp, South Africa. |
| 7 October 1949 | East Germany [legislation] | The Soviet-occupied zone of Germany (East Germany) is proclaimed a Democratic Republic. |
| 7 October 1959 | USSR [space exploration] | The Soviet Luna 3 (launched on 4 October) takes the first photographs of the far side of the Moon. |
| 7 October 1965 | UK [architecture] | The Post Office Tower (now the Telecom Tower), is opened in London, England; it is the tallest building in Britain. |
| 7 October 1976 | China [political events] | Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao Zedong as Chinese premier. The ‘Gang of Four’, including Mao's widow, are arrested and denounced for plotting to take power. |
| 7–31 October 2001 | Afghanistan [War on Terrorism (2001– )] | Claiming conclusive evidence that Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network were behind the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, DC, the US and UK launch sustained air attacks against targets controlled by the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime in Afghanistan for refusing to surrender the terrorist leader. |
| 7 October 2001 | UK [business and economics] | At the UK government's instigation Railtrack, the owner and operator of Britain's railway network, is declared bankrupt and put into administration. |
