What was going on when I was born?

The assassination of President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt unsettled world oil markets and dispelled optimism over prices and supplies that had prevailed for nearly a year. At the New York Mercantile Exchange, more barrels of oil were sold for future delivery than ever before. On the New York Stock Exchange, domestic oil issues jumped upward as nervous investors bet in favor of another international oil crisis. In Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the center of the world's spot, or noncontract, oil market, the crude oil trade ground to a halt, as traders waited for signs of a price leap.

The assassination of President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt created a new series of problems for future American policy in the Middle East at a time when the Reagan Administration was already worried about the spread of disorder in the region. Administration officials, concerned about the chaos in Lebanon, the increased subversive activity of Libya and the Soviet inroads in Afghanistan, Southern Yemen and Ethiopia, had viewed Mr. Sadat as a solid, pro-American anchor of stability in the Middle East. With his death, there is now apprehension about the situation in Egypt as well. At the White House, President Reagan said the United States had lost ''a close friend'' and ''a champion of peace.'' But the Administration refrained from any public assessment of the possible repercussions of the assassination. (Page A12.)

An article Sept. 10 on the Mediterra- nean fruit fly incorrectly identified the manufacturer of the bait used in ef- forts to poison the flies. It is the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company of Decatur, Ill.

Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan, in his strongest statement to date, said today that the Federal Reserve Board's monetary policy was too tight and that the nation's central bank would have to increase the growth rate of the money supply to avoid prolonging a recession. ''We don't want to prolong this recession, which could happen'' if the Federal Reserve undershoots its money supply targets, Mr. Regan said in an interview on his way to a speech here. He added that money supply growth had been slower than necessary. ''I think we're going to have to insist that they stay on target,'' Mr. Regan added. ''We as an Administration cannot be content to see the economy stay flat quarter after quarter after quarter. We want a growing economy that is producing jobs.''

In the confusion swirling around the assassination of Egypt's President, Anwar el-Sadat, little information was made public in Cairo about the killers. Egyptian authorities were known to have several uniformed men in custody last night, but the Egyptians gave no details about the number or identity of the attackers or the reasons for the attack.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company and the Seagram Company, which were intense rivals in the bidding war for Conoco Inc. last summer, said yesterday that they had signed an agreement whereby the chairman of each company will become a director of the other. In a joint announcement, the companies also said that Seagram, which now holds 20 percent of Du Pont's common stock, will not exceed a 25 percent stake in the voting stock of the nation's largest chemical company and that Du Pont will have the right of first refusal if Seagram wants to sell its holdings. Seagram aquired its stake in Du Pont after that company beat out Seagram for the control of Conoco, which was formally merged with Du Pont last week.

Hungary feels that it's on the right path; Poland proves it A2 British Army reduces its role in Ulster A3 Iranian executions protested in takeover of Ankara consulate A4 Israel discloses rescue mission on Saudi reef A6 Israel says it regrets that Arafat was invited to visit Japan A13 Trudeau makes bid for consensus on constitutional reform A16 Dissident movement crushed, K.G.B. chief declares A17 Mrs. Thatcher facing attacks from Tory ranks A18 British Social Democrats get a lift at conference A19 Government/Politics Governor Carey raises funds and stumps upstate for bond issue B2 Anderson, a possible rival to Carey in '82, assails him B2 Jersey high court upholds ballot bias ruling B5 White House halts letter chiding Republicans on donations B12 Parents of missing children urge national reporting system B12 Senate panel approves bill out- lawing identification of agents B13 Washington Talk Briefing A24 Two compete for podium at White House press briefings A24 Lawyer works to untangle the mazes of Government A24 General Around the Nation A20 Old department store building stirs Philadelphia struggle A20 Owners report "no deals" yet on sale of UPI A22 Obituaries Sherman R. Knapp, retired utility executive D23 Living Section Food A strategy for quick, easy meals C1 A tailgate picnic for gridiron devotees C1 Perils of mushroom hunting in Germany C3 Recalling Yom Kippurs past C4 Living Abandoning the search for the "extra man" C1 Metropolitan Diary C2 Kitchen Equipment C2 60-Minute Gourmet C3 Best Buys C8 Discoveries C10 Real policewomen view the TV variety C12 A party draws a collection of Rockefellers C12 Wine Talk C15 Personal Health C16 Health/Science U.S. launches satellite to examine atmospheric ozone layer A20 Russians reveal details on future of their space program B11 Arts/Entertainment The Police change their rock sound in new album C21 Juilliard Quartet in pre-anniver- say recital at Met Museum C22 Paul Taylor Dance Company's "House of Cards" C22 Two one-acters at the Gene Fran- kel Theater C24 Task force expected to keep status quo of arts endowments C25 John Malcolm Brinnin's "Sextet" is reviewed C25 Mead film series at Museum of Natural History Oct. 17-18 C25 Film Festival shows Rivette's "Le Pont du Nord" C26 Eric Rohmer's "Aviator's Wife" begins new film series C26 "Mr. Merlin" and "Coward of the Country" on CBS-TV tonight C27 Theater seminars at CUNY scheduled for Oct. 14-16 C28 Sports Nets show interest in Knicks' Ray Williams B14 Astros top Do dgers, 3-1, on Ashby homer; Ryan hurls 2-hitter B15 A's down Royals, 4-0, for 1-0 lead in A.L. West playoff B15 Yanks and Brewers look to bull- pen aces B15 Giants waive Taylor, leading rusher last two years B15 Rangers lose opener to Red Wings, 5-2 B15 Expos bring postseason baseball to Canada B16 Red Smith on the dishonest sea- son B17 News Analysis Bernard Gwertzman on U.S. view of Sadat assassination A1 William E. Farrell on Egypt after Sadat A1 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A26 One extraordinary man New movement in Ulster A dull blade for college loans "... any gun you want" Letters A26 James Reston: Sadat - the capi- tal reflects A27 Russell Baker: any humans out there? A27 Ronald Steel: buying Middle East allies A27 Fouad Ajami: the army and Sadat's journey A27

President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt was shot and killed today by a group of men in military uniforms who hurled hand grenades and fired rifles at him as he watched a military parade commemorating the 1973 war against Israel. Vice President Hosni Mubarak, in announcing Mr. Sadat's death, said Mubarak speech excerpted, page A9. Egypt's treaties and international commitments would be respected. He said the Speaker of Parliament, Sufi Abu Taleb, would serve as interim President pending an election in 60 days. The assassins' bullets ended the life of a man who earned a reputation for making bold decisions in foreign affairs, a reputation based in large part on his decision in 1977 to journey to the camp of Egypt's foe, Israel, to make peace. Sadat Forged His Own Regime Regarded as an interim ruler when he came to power in 1970 on the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Mr. Sadat forged his own regime and ran Egypt single-handedly. He was bent on moving this impoverished country into the late 20th century, a drive that led him to abandon an alliance with the Soviet Union and embrace the West.

''We are accustomed to these wounds and we believe in God's will and we will continue, in the name of the spirit and soul of our leader and our Constitution, to abide by all treaties and commitments made.'' - Vice President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. (A8:1.)

IT is now acceptable in some circles to have an uneven table at a dinner party. We are not talking about the sort of uneveness that may be rectified by propping up the short leg of the table with a matchbook. Rather, we are talking about dinner parties at which the ratio of male to female guests is less than equal and even dinner parties at which the men are so precious the hostess has studded them around the table like truffles on a pate. This is what is now acceptable in some, not all, circles. ''Is it? Oh, thank God,'' said the writer Harriet Van Horne. ''I remember when dinner parties were Noah's Ark. Of course there was always one extra man in case another man couldn't show up. As soon as anybody got divorced or widowed everybody called him and said, 'Welcome! You're the rarest of species, you're an extra man!' '' Miss Van Horne said there was nothing duller than a dinner with three married couples who have known one another for years. ''They have their own private language and associations and allusions and so on,'' she said. ''It's much better to have a few oddballs and people you can't quite place.''

Israel, which had such a high stake in the survival of President Anwar el-Sadat, reacted with stunned anxiety today to news of his assassination in Cairo. A fear for the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel dominated all emotions. So thoroughly had the Egyptian leader come to personify that peace, and so deeply had Israelis distrusted the motives of other Egyptians, that his death today swept away confidence as swiftly as his historic visit to Jerusalem in 1977 had brought hope. ''The very fact that one bullet can cancel an agreement,'' said Geula Cohen, who heads the Tehiya Party in Parliament, ''is a sign that not only the withdrawal, but all these procedures, must be stopped. There is no doubt that this incident confirms all that we have been saying; there is no stability in this region and one cannot make an agreement which is dependent on a nondemocratic regime and one man.''

The death of President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt unsettled world oil markets and dampened recent optimism over prices and supplies. At the New York Mercantile Exchange, more barrels of oil were sold for future delivery than ever be fore. In Rotterda m, trade on the spot market halted as investors awaited signs of a price surge. (Page D1.) American business and economic leaders voiced concern that Mr. Sadat's death would inject new uncertainty into the Middle East. Several saw the possibility of economic disruption, with the key to stability in the hands of Mr. Sadat's successor. (D1.)