What was going on when I was born?

DETROIT, Aug. 28--The General Motors Corporation announced today that it will recall in October 18,700 auto workers who have been laid off in the past year--the first major worker recall in the auto industry since largescale layoffs began last year with the slump in sales.

Stock prices fell sharply yesterday as investors, worried about rising short-term interest rates, decided to take profits.

Social Security tax credit--An 8 percent credit against income taxes for both workers and their employers that would roughly offset higher Social Security taxes taking effect Jan. 1.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28--President Carter acted today to withhold a $12.6 million synthetic-fuel contract between the Department of Energy and W.R. Grace Company because the company had been found out of compliance with the President's anti-inflation guidelines.

MIDDLEBURG, Va., Aug. 28--Ronald Reagan, who borrowed the rhetoric of one Democratic President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last month, today borrowed a house here built for another, John F. Kennedy.

Following are excerpts from the transcript of a debate at The New York Times yesterday among the four candidates for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator from New York--Elizabeth Holtzman, John V. Lindsay, Bess Myerson and John J. Santucci. The debate was moderated by William E. Farrell, The Times's deputy metropolitan editor.

GDANSK, Poland, Aug. 28--It was about 4 o'clock, the sun was sinking behind the roof of the brick buildings of the Lenin Shipyard and a man with a beard and a beret, a Baltic Che Guevara type, had turned his portable ...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28--President Carter outlined today an election year "revitalization" plan for the American economy that postponed individual income tax cuts beyond 1981 and emphasized Federal financial aid for business investment, especially in the old industrial cities that have been losing jobs.

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 28--When John J. Nevin signed on as president of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, he found a company in trouble. Building tires it could not sell, Firestone seemed unable to control its bulging inventory, was losing money at a dangerous rate and was still trying to clear a name besmirched by the largest tire recall ever.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28--Although President Carter's re-election campaign is not scheduled to open officially until Monday, Mr. Carter sounded what is expected to be a major campaign theme ...