7 October 1777: British General John Burgoyne’s forces suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Bemis Heights (the Second Battle of Saratoga), which led directly to his unconditional surrender ten days later, on 17 October, during the American War of Independence.
7 October 1899: The British Army officially orders full mobilisation just days before the outbreak of hostilities in South Africa (Second Boer War).
7 October 1943: RAF Bomber Command launches 343 Lancaster bombers against the military-industrial targets of Stuttgart; however, a pathfinder error mistakenly resulted in the heavy destruction of the town of Böblingen.
7 October 2001: British military forces commenced combat operations in Afghanistan alongside the United States, marking the beginning of Operation Veritas (the British contribution to the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom).