What was going on when I was born?

Central Park is getting new lights -more than 1,000 metal halide ones -that will be placed atop existing cast-iron lampposts. These posts were designed in 1910 by Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial, and have been reproduced in parks all over the country. Park officials say that the redesign of the lights will improve the lighting in the park, even though it will actually reduce the number of lights by about a third.

After months of dissension, oil ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries gathered at a tightly guarded hotel here today and predicted they will quickly agree on a unified pricing structure. ''It will be a short and sweet meeting,'' said Subroto, the Indonesian oil minister and president of the OPEC conference. ''I am optimistic,'' said Humberto Calderon Berti, Venezuela's Minister of Energy and Mines, adding, ''There is a much better chance than last time.'' Mr. Calderon Berti referred to the unsuccessful effort of OPEC members to resolve their pricing differences at their meeting here in August. At that time a compromise calling for Saudi Arabia to increase its base price by $2 a barrel while the 12 other OPEC members cut their base price by the same amount collapsed when Venezuela and several other countries refused to agree to the compromise.

A dispatch by The Associated Press published yesterday erroneously de- scribed a bill passed by the House of Representatives on funds for sewage plants. The bill authorizes $2.4 billion for one year. It also bans sewage dis- charges into the ocean for one year.

WHEN Judy and Marcus Mello decided a few weeks ago to give a musicale in their home, they didn't know that they would be facing stiff competition from the World Series. Nevertheless, it was standing room only in the living room of the Mellos' West 73d Street duplex apartment late Sunday afternoon, as 50 of their friends came to listen to the Riverside String Quartet. Only two guests, both men, sneaked off to watch the Yankee-Dodger game on a bedroom television set, and that happened during the wineand-cheese reception after the musicale. ''I told my wife I was going to look for the bathroom,'' one of the television watchers said sheepishly. ''She'll kill me if she knows what I'm really doing.''

Soviet reporters in U.S. have problems, too A2 Mrs. Thatcher back to rising criti- cism A3 U.S. to give Burma $30 million in aid A4 Jaruzelski pledges Polish alle- giance in message to Brezhnev A7 Vatican body approves new rules on annulment A8 Waldheim again fails to win re- nomination A9 Namibian parties near accord on independence A11 Saudis bid Arabs stop attacks on Egypt A12 The U.S. is withdrawing the two Awacs planes sent to Egypt A13 Government/Politics G.O.P. expects to raise record funds for 1982 elections A21 Kean and Florio are scrambling for crowds B2 Democratic plan wins in Connect- icut redistricting B2 Albany votes new property-tax assessment system B4 Report recommends changes in juvenile justice system B7 Mary T. Codd gives her views on the issue of crime B8 Last scene of Senate drama: a foregone conclusion B10 Washington Talk Briefing A24 Nancy Thurmond catches atten- tion as hostess and party goer A24 Government pays linguists to un- tangle its bureaucratese A24 Budget cuts even cancel study on impact of cuts A24 Trade commission gets a giggle out of acne cream case A24 General Teachers return to work after 50- day strike in Philadelphia A22 Around the Nation A23 Home Section Home Conservatory creates a house for more seasons C1 The renaissance of home musi- cales C1 At furniture fair, presence of the past C1 Hers C2 Helpful Hardware C2 Big stores add art to shopper wares C3 Home Beat C3 Home Improvement C4 Calendar of Events C5 Calvin Klein: Spring suedes and choice of hemlines C10 Capital's new design center C11 Gardening C12 Arts/Entertainment Claudette Peterson is City Opera's newest Vixen C13 "Route 1 & 9 (The Last Act)" staged Off Off Broadway C15 Schuyler Bishop's "Brontosaurus Rex" is staged C17 Bob Dylan revises his old rock standbys in concert C19 Does the movie version help or hurt a book? C19 Hollywood using Introvision, a new special-effects device C21 Fire at the Atkinson delays open- ing of "The Dresser" C22 New wing at the Fine Arts Mu- seum in Boston C23 "An Indecent Obsession," is re- viewed C24 Yiddish "Roumanian Wedding" is staged at Town Hall C25 "Don't Blame the Kids" by Gene Maeroff reviewed C25 Donald Woods, "banned" jour- nalist, revels in apartheid fight C26 Two situation comedies make debuts on NBC C28 Sports Dodgers' Hooton lets his pitching speak for him B13 Yankee reserves play important role in Series B13 Oilers beat Rangers, 5-3 B14 League looking into Smith's slashing of Gretzky B14 Nets sign Albert King to 4-year, $1 million pact B15 Dave Anderson on Valenzuela's financial future B17 Danelo keeps calm and kicks straight B18 Klecko, despite injury, practices to help rookie B18 Athletics Congress disputes Sala- zar criticism B18 Informant testifies a second day in trial of shaving scheme B19 News Analysis Edward Cowan on the Federal budget deficit A16 Hedrick Smith assesses Reagan's Awacs victory B12 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A26 The shape of New York's shame Through the windshield Public questions for Jersey Topics: animal, vegetable Letters A26 Anthony Lewis: victory - and its burden A27 William Safire: Europe's new isolationists A27 Elizabeth Colton: the U.S. and Qaddafi A27 William J. vanden Heuvel: vote no on prisons A27

The Greenwich Savings Bank is in danger of failing, and the F.D.I.C. is trying to match it with a merger partner, banking sources said. Greenwich, the nation's seventh-largest savings bank, holds about 25,000 mortgages and 320,000 deposit accounts. The F.D.I.C. would reimburse deposits of $100,000 or less, both principal and interest, and at least the principal over $100,000. (Page A1.) Ford lost $334.5 million in the third quarter, slightly more than analysts expected but well below its $595 million loss in the 1980 period. With Chrysler results due today, an industrywide loss for the period approaching $1 billion is considered likely. (D1.)

Gulf and Western Industries and the Securities and Exchange Commission today settled the agency's highly publicized lawsuit that had charged the company and two of its top officers with wide-ranging ''fraudulent courses of conduct.'' As part of the 13-page settlement, Gulf and Western agreed not to violate antifraud and reporting provisions of the Federal securities laws, and it agreed to strengthen certain company bylaws. They deal with management practices criticized in the S.E.C.'s 60-page civil complaint, filed in November 1979. Although the S.E.C. had accused Charles G. Bluhdorn, chairman of Gulf and Western, and Don F. Gaston, executive vice president, of having improperly spent company funds, the settlement did not call for any restitution. The company did agree to establish a wide range of accounting procedures to prevent any future misuse of corporate assets. Today the executives neither admitted nor denied any wrongdoing.

''I believe it will change the military balance somewhat, but I think the Israelis can cope with that.

Millions of Polish workers staged a one-hour general strike today. A spokesman for the Solidarity union in Gdansk, where reports of the effectiveness of the work stoppage were still coming in, pronounced himself ''satisfied'' with the scope of the protest. But for the first time since strikes became the main weapon in the workers' movement for more freedom and influence in government 14 months ago, the authorities said the strike had failed. ''The total strike this time did not succeed,'' Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, the Communist Party leader, said at a Central Committee meeting, according to television. ''For the first time, political and social organizations have categorically spoken out against it.''

The Senate voted 52 to 48 today to permit the sale of Awacs planes and other air combat equipment to Saudi Arabia. The action gave President Reagan an important legislative victory when only days ago he seemed to be facing defeat. Through intense personal lobbying and through the parliamentary generalship of the Senate Republican leader, Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee, the President yesterday and today obtained the support of nine senators whose positions were previously unannounced and secured a switch in votes by five senators who had opposed the sale. The President will now be able to proceed with the $8.5 billion sale of five Airborne Warning and Control System planes and advanced heat-seeking missiles and flight-extending fuel tanks for F-15 fighter planes.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, frustrated by the Yankees in 1977 and 1978, achieved their first World Series championship since 1965 by soundly defeating New York, 9-2, last night at Yankee Stadium. The Dodgers won their fifth world championship by breaking open the game after Manager Bob Lemon of the Yankees made a highly controversial move in the fourth inning by removing his starting pitcher, Tommy John, for a pinch-hitter. In winning the Series in six games, the Dodgers reversed the outcome of the 1978 Series between the same teams. In that year, the Yankees lost the first two games in Los Angeles, then won four in a row. This time the Dodgers lost the first two games in New York, then won the next four.

The newest designs being shown at the fall Southern Furniture Market here are easily 200 years old. As home furnishings buyers gathered for the fall market, which ends Friday, the mood was conservative. ''Tried and true'' seemed to be the philosophy, reflected by a raft of reproduction furniture. Americana, and particularly ''country pine,'' was the predominant look. This style, for any who may have missed it, is a loose rustic amalgam that derives from Colonial designs; the furniture is usually made of naturally finished pale woods.