What was going on when I was born?

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 7 John B. Connally, who has heavily staked his Presidential hopes on a strong showing in tomorrow's Republican primary election in South Carolina, predicted victory in an exuberant moment today. But most other politicians rated Ronald Reagan the solid favorite in the South's first Presidential contest of 1980.

TEHERAN, Iran, Saturday, March 8 The Iranian Government announced last night that Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh would go to the occupied United States Embassy today and take charge of both the hostages and the embassy compound.

SALISBURY, Rhodesia, March 7 Declaring that "living with and working with our enemies has never been a problem," former Prime Minister Ian D. Smith today declared his availability to serve in the Cabinet of Robert Mugabe, the man whose guerrilla forces forced Mr. Smith to abandon his bid to uphold white minority rule.

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 7 Wary Soviet soldiers reappeared on the streets of Kabul today and Soviet fighter jets and helicopter gunships buzzed the city as opponents of the Soviet-supported regime of President Babrak Karmal gave indications that they were preparing for a fresh round of strikes and shop closings next week.

WASHINGTON, March 7 The Uniroyal Tire Company is calling in two million of its 1975-77 steel-belted radials because the Government says they might be dangerous.

WASHINGTON, March 7 The Government reported today that inflation, as measured by the Producer Price Index, continued to soar at a near-record level in February, increasing the political and economic pressure on the Carter Administration to take action.

WASHINGTON, March 7 Pakistan's renunciation of American military aid has produced new problems for the Administration that go well beyond the embarrassment of having President Carter ...

The first class of recruits appointed to the Police Department in five years 410 student officers received badges at a ceremony at the Police Academy yesterday. Also receiving their badges were 29 recruits of the Housing Authority police, who are getting their training at the academy.

PEKING, March 7 Not long ago an American resident of Peking invited a Chinese friend to dinner in a restaurant. To save trouble on the telephone, the Chinese volunteered to book a table in his name.

PEKING, March 7 China has appointed a veteran bureaucrat to the important job of director of the Communist Party's propaganda department, intensifying concern among some intellectuals that the recent period of greater freedom of expression may be over.

NOCERA INFERIORE, Italy, March 7 (AP) Five bandits stopped an express train today by forcing a switchman to flash a red signal, but the gang picked the wrong car and made off with only four pouches of letters. Officials said cash and other valuables were being transported in another mail car.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 7 (Reuters) Former President Richard M. Nixon arrived in the Ivory Coast tonight to attend a golf tournament as a guest of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny. The tournament is taking place at Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's hometown of Yamoussoukro, 150 miles north of here.