What was going on when I was born?

The American semiconductor industry - fast-growing, prosperous and free of Government control - has stood in stark contrast to some older industries, including steel and automobiles, which have suffered from foreign competition and aging factories. Such factors have forced those industries to seek Government help. Now, however, the semiconductor industry is also appealing to Washington for help in competing with the Japanese and in investing in new equipment. It is mounting a campaign for freer trade and tax incentives.

The Supreme Court, ruling in two unrelated murder cases, today significantly expanded the constitutional protection against self-incrimination. The Court ruled in one case that a murder defendant must be given the right to remain silent when questioned by a psychiatrist who might later testify for the prosecution that the defendant was ''dangerous'' and should be put to death. That decision, in which the Court was unanimous although divided in its reasoning, has the immediate effect of invalidating the death sentences of 30 inmates in Texas. The second decision, also unanimous, held that once a criminal suspect has invoked his right to have a lawyer present during questioning, he cannot later be regarded as having waived that right unless he initiates further conversations with the police.

Italian voters today overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for the repeal of a liberal abortion law in spite of a determined campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and an antiabortion movement linked to the governing Christian Democratic Party. WIth 97 percent of the votes counted, the repeal had been rejected by 20,839,824, or 68 percent, with 9,905,350 votes in favor. The margin was far higher than even the most optimistic defenders of the law had expected.

Two small pipe bombs similar to one that killed a man at Kennedy International Airport on Saturday were found yesterday on Manhattan's East Side. Both were safely removed and no one was injured. The bombs were found at the United States Mission to the United Nations and the Honduran Consulate. Authorities said the bombs apparently were sent through the mail over the weekend by the same Puerto Rican terrorist group that had left three other bombs at the Pan American World Airways terminal at Kennedy Airport on Saturday and Sunday, including one that blew up, killing a 20-year-old airport worker. Police investigators, meanwhile, said they had found a witness who described in some detail a man who ran from a restroom in the terminal shortly before the fatal blast and had warned the witness to ''keep her mouth shut'' about him.

China to publish Mao assessment on July 1 A4 Ex-ambassador says U.S. has a nuclear agreement with Japan A5 Two U.S. officials threaten to re- sign in baby formula dispute A6 Reagan's rights nominee says he's a "confirmed do-gooder" A7 Pope's doctors note gain but still express caution A8 British Navy Minister is out in dis- pute over arms outlays A9 Around the World A10 Government/Politics Carey and Koch "reluctantly" back regional transit tax B1 Focus in Jersey race for governor shifts to Hudson County B2 Connecticut's $2.98 billion budget is signed into law B2 Senator Goodman offered G.O.P. chairmanship in Manhattan B3 City Clerk seeks Manhattan bor- ough presidency B3 A Nassau official is indicted in connection with recycling plant B9 Supreme Court rejects Brooklyn judge's challenge on removal B10 Supreme Court Roundup B11 A.C.L.U. official sees threat in fight against terrorism B11 Michigan votes on property-tax limitation today B11 President's Social Security plan unlikely to survive as it is B12 Reagans go to Joffrey ballet per- formance to see son perform B12 Navy shuts shipboard custody units pending investigation B12 Several members of House report assets of over $1 million B12 Republicans consider limiting or abolishing elections unit B12 Features/Notes Notes on People B6 About Washington: For the Speak- er, win some, lose some B12 Going Out Guide C10 Science Times The search for the best toxic waste disposal intensifies C1 Wandering genes give bacteria their powers to harm C1 Treating the emotional disorders of doctors C1 Education: the success of early remedial teaching C1 The Doctor's World: when the Pope is a patient C2 Science Watch C2 The Surgeon General's boss C3 About Education: a decade of changes to come for testing C6 Science Q&A C6 General Around the Nation A12 Inquiry set in death of veteran charged in hospital shooting A12 Even the Celtics seem unable to buoy Boston's hopes A12 Audience takes part in adoption program B3 Arts/Entertainment Phase I of Cliburn contest passes halfway mark C7 "Paris-Moscow" art show to give Russians feast of modernism C7 Art auctions set record prices C8 Francine Gray's "World Without End" reviewed C10 Juilliard String Quartet in all-Bee- thoven program C13 Pavarotti voice contest under way in Philadelphia C13 Cissy Houston sings at the Bottom Line C13 "The Violation of Sarah McDavid," on CBS-TV tonight C14 Style Notes on Fashion C11 Fur designers have new ideas on keeping warm C11 Shawls in all sizes: the latest re- vival for a hardy perennial C11 Obituaries Dr. E. Drexel Godfrey Jr., former C.I.A. official B14 Jeannette Piccard, balloonist and pioneer Episcopal priest C12 James S. Rausch, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Phoenix C12 Arthur O'Connell, acted in "Anat- omy of a Murder" C12 Sports City negotiating golf-course con- cession D20 Right-of-first-refusal clause now governs N.B.A. free agency D20 Cosmos seek Wegerle of Rowdies D20 Yanks' John and Gossage top Royals, 2-1 D21 Mets release Roberts D21 Resch says Islanders are better than last year D21 Connors loses West German final D21 John Walker, at 29, seeks new challenge D21 Dave Anderson on Wayne Mer- rick's dream D23 Ciccarelli's record feat dimmed by Stars' loss D23 News Analysis John Vinocur on Helmut Schmidt's political troubles A2 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A14 The diplomacy of mothers' milk Sweet deal for sugar growers Private jobs, public needs Topics: offensive/defensive Letters A14 Sydney H. Schanberg: punishing the doctors A15 Tom Wicker: giving voters a break A15 John B. Oakes: the Ketchikan caper A15 Richard Critchfield: doomsday chic A15 Michael Leapman: Ireland and our press A15

Following the lead of a number of competitors, the Exxon Corporation and the Mobil Corporation, the nation's two largest oil companies, have reduced the price they will pay for most types of domestically produced crude oil by $2 a barrel. Exxon's cuts took effect Friday and Mobil's were posted Sunday. The cuts bring prices generally to the $34-to-$36-a-barrel range.

In a move with potential ramifications for American foreign policy, the Central Intelligence Agency says it has increased its estimates of Soviet oil production. It now predicts that during the 1980's Moscow will still be able to meet its energy needs without having to import petroleum. Administration officials said today that a new C.I.A. study states that, contrary to previous agency estimates, the Russians will not be competing for Middle Eastern or other foreign sources of oil by 1985. The study has already been discussed with Western allies, the officials said. Beginning in 1977, the C.I.A. had predicted that Soviet oil production would start declining by 1980 and that by 1985 the Russians would have to import as much as 3.5 million barrels a day for their needs.

International Damascus again was the destination of the American special envoy to the Middle East. Philip C. Habib returned to the Syrian capital for a third round of talks with Syrian leaders aimed at preventing an Israeli-Syrian clash over Syria's missiles in Lebanon. But Mr. Habib, who has spent more than a week shuttling between Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, was given a cool welcome by the newspaper of Syria's ruling Baath Party. (Page A1, Col. 6.) Menachem Begin rebuffed U.S. efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to use its influence with Syria and urge Damascus to back down in its dispute with Israel over the Syrian missile emplacements in Lebanon, which Israel threatens to attack. Mr. Habib reportedly won Saudi Arabia support for his peace mission. Prime Minister Begin ridiculed the suggestion that Saudi Arabia's influence could help ease the Syrian-Israeli confrontation. (A3:1-3.)

''A lot of people thought we were scoundrels,'' recalls John G. McCoy, vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Banc One Corporation. The ''people'' were Mr. McCoy's fellow bankers. And their complaint was that, without Banc One's cooperation, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith might not be offering checking accounts to its money market mutual fund customers, a service that has put the nation's largest securities firm in direct competition with the banking industry. Until Merrill Lynch linked up with Banc One in 1977, only banks and some thrift institutions in the Northeast were able to provide checking accounts. Bank One checkbooks have been sent to the 300,000 Merrill Lynch customers who have opened Cash Management Accounts since the program was inaugurated. Banc One, with a ''c,'' is the name of the holding company while its affiliates have the more usual ''k'' spelling.

Pope John Paul II was moved today from the intensive care unit at Gemelli Hospital to a four-room private suite. The move, which came on the Pontiff's 61st birthday, was a sign of his steady recovery from serious abdominal wounds suffered in an assassination attempt five days ago. In another positive development, his doctors today began issuing only one bulletin a day instead of two. Today's bulletin said his condition was stable, but hospital officials warned that the danger of infection had not entirely disappeared. At the same time, Italian authorities resumed their questioning of Mehmet Ali Agca, the 23-year-old convicted murderer who is accused of firing two shots at the Pope last Wednesday. They appeared to be pulling back from the theory that Mr. Agca, a Turk, had acted with the support of an international terrorist ring.

INTENSIFIES By RICHARD SEVERO INTENSIFIED efforts are under way to find environmentally sound and economical ways to dispose of the 35 million tons of hazardous chemical wastes generated each year by some 270,000 industrial sites and other sources around the United States. Despite an uncertain regulatory climate, caused by the Reagan Administration's pledge to free business from as many regulations as possible, there has been progress in two areas: the development of new technology, and the adaptation of old technology to new uses. Both old and new technologies are especially concerned with chemical compounds that are heavily chlorinated, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCB's, because of their stability and resistance to ordinary environmental degradation. These compounds, which include many pesticides, dry-cleaning solvents and plastics, have caused serious contamination of ground water in many parts of the country. They have been implicated in liver damage and many are suspected carcinogens.

THE emergency may be a case of food poisoning, with nausea and great discomfort; a gunshot wound, infected and suddenly resistant to most of the standard antibiotic drugs; or diphtheria, an infectious disease that is uncommon today, but a threat to life when it occurs. To some scientists, all of these diverse health emergencies, each involving widely different bacteria, are united by a common thread. In each case, the ultimate source of the damage to human patients is not so much the various bacteria that cause food poisoning, or become resistant to drugs, or make the special poison that causes the symptoms of diphtheria. Rather, the harm is done by wandering pieces of genetic material that infect those bacteria and give them special, harmful traits. In some cases the manner in which these genes move from place to place is known. In others it is only suspected and, in many cases, it is still entirely mysterious. The total effect on human and animal health, however, is vast.