(2) I think you are essentially asking, when did the counting of the “seven times” (meaning the amount of time that humans would be able exercise full control over their own affairs without outside intervention) begin?
It would be, basically, after Zedekiah, the last Jewish king in the “Kingdom of God” as it was described in the Christian Hebrew scriptures, was removed from the throne in Jerusalem by the Babylonians. (See Ezekiel 21:25-27)
As of early October of 607 B.C.E. the last vestige of Jewish sovereignty was gone. By that time the Jewish governor, Gedaliah, who had been left in charge by the Babylonians, had been assassinated, and the remaining Jews had fled to Egypt. (See Jeremiah, chapters 40-43) Bible chronology indicates that this took place 70 years before 537 B.C.E., the year in which the Jews returned from captivity; that is, it took place by early October of 607 B.C.E. (Jeremiah 29:10; Daniel. 9:2)
In short:
Early October, 607 B.C.E., to December 31, 607 B.C.E. = 1/4 year
January 1, 606 B.C.E., to December 31, 1 B.C.E. = 606 years
January 1, 1 C.E., to December 31, 1913 = 1,913 years
January 1, 1914, to early October, 1914 = 3/4 year
Total: 2,520 years