What was going on when I was born?

International A strike by 2,800 Polish coal miners in Silesia was confirmed by the Warsaw radio. There were also reports that activists from the Solidarity labor movement had barricaded themselves inside a steel mill in Katowice. The broadcasts, monitored outside Poland, said that the miners had been on strike since last Tuesday. (Page A1, Col. 6.) Pope John Paul II extolled freedom in his annual peace message. He declared that all men should strive to prevent every form of warfare, but he added that ''peoples have a right and even a duty to protect their existence and freedom'' against an unjust aggressor. (A1:2.)

high terrace that juts out from the steep barren walls of this Antarctic valley in Victoria Land. Winds of awesome power tear at the sandstone floor and winter temperatures sometimes plunge to 75 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But to Imre Friedmann it is a veritable ''rain forest.'' He bends over, picks up a yellowish piece of porous sandstone and gives it a smart rap with his hammer. The rock splits and reveals a narrow band of green lurking a few millimeters beneath the surface - evidence of one of the most extraordinary adaptations of life to hardship ever found. The green band is made up of lichens, a marriage of algae and fungal matter, that have managed to find what Dr. Friedmann calls ''quite a cozy climate'' beneath the surface of otherwise sterile Antarctic rocks. They do so, he recently discovered, not by adapting physiologically to the cold but by changing their growth pattern and shape to enable them to occupy tiny air spaces in the porous rock, where they evade the harsh climate.

The United Auto Workers might renegotiate current contracts with Ford and General Motors, reversing a stand taken in March against reopening contracts with domestic auto makers. A decision might be made at a Jan. 8 meeting as the manufacturers press the union for wage concessions. (Page A1.) The President discussed economic forecasts with top advisers as he moved toward a decision on whether to propose tax increases for the 1983 fiscal year. The agenda also included a discussion of possible cutbacks in programs that provide for such benefits as Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps. (D1.)

Novo Industri A/S, firmly established as the world leader in industrial enzyme production and a major producer of insulin, is wary of the kind of publicity normally associated with biotechnology concerns. The last thing it wants is to be linked in the public mind with the host of new genetic engineering companies, such as Genentech Inc. and the Cetus Corporation, which have yet to produce commercially viable products. Novo believes that it has key strengths that the newer companies lack: a long tradition of business-oriented biology research; experience with manufacturing technologies, such as fermentation, that will be crucial to the successful application of recent breakthroughs, and a worldwide service and marketing organization. Most analysts who follow Novo, which last year earned $24 million on sales of $215 million, conclude that it is ideally positioned to capitalize on highly publicized scientific advances of the past decade.

The Warsaw radio reported today that more than 2,800 Polish coal miners were on strike in Silesia, and there were reports that activists from the Solidarity union movement had barricaded themselves inside a steel mill in Katowice. The broadcasts, monitored outside Poland, said that the coal miners had been on strike since last Tuesday and had spurned appeals from the directors of both mines to end the protest. Polish Government officials confirmed that at least two coal mines in Silesia remained occupied eight days after the imposition of martial law, according to information arriving from Poland. They also said that the number of people interned since martial law was declared totaled about 5,000, and they denied persistent independent reports that the figure was much higher. (Page A11.)

''We don't want it to go on long. We're going to do everything we can to see that it doesn't.''

More than most countries, the United States is a land of consumers. Of every dollar of income after taxes, on average, 95 cents are spent and only about 5 cents are saved. To Reagan Administration economists, who are trying to increase the savings rate, that low savings figure is what has held down investment and slowed the growth of productivity. But as the Government's program to increase the personal savings rate moves into high gear on Jan. 1, when all workers become eligible to set up tax-exempt retirement accounts, many economists contend that the Government will be able to lift the rate only a small amount, if at all. ''There is no strong reason to think that the economic program is going to increase savings sufficiently to make a difference,'' said Irwin Friend, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied American savings patterns.

TOXIC shock experts at the Federal Centers for Disease Control are alerting physicians to be on the lookout for the potentially fatal syndrome in a wide range of people, not just menstruating women who use tampons. A new study by the Atlanta-based centers has revealed that a larger proportion of cases now occurring are unrelated to menstruation. Among those who have developed toxic shock syndrome are postsurgical patients, burn patients, women who have just given birth and people with boils or abscesses. In a few people, the disease has occurred without an apparent pre-existing medical condition. The study showed that among 1,500 cases of the potentially fatal disease reported to the centers since the early 1970's, 130 occurred in people other than menstruating women. But while nonmenstrual cases initially accounted for only 4 percent to 7 percent of reported cases, now they represent 13 percent of the total, according to Dr. Claire Broome, chief of the Special Pathogens Branch at the centers.

A number of investment banking houses apparently are paying generous bonuses this year - reflecting big profits during a busy year of mergers and underwritings - while many of Wall Street's major stock brokerage firms are reducing or eliminating these year-end payouts. Two major houses known for retail brokerage activities will omit bonuses this month after having paid them in December 1980. They are Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and Bache Halsey Stuart Shields Inc. Analsysts said that 1981 earnings at both firms suffered because of the weakening economy and volatile markets that reduced commissions. ''While share volume in the stock markets was strong in the first half of this year, it has gradually declined,'' said Perrin Long, a securities industry analyst with Lipper Analytical Services Inc. ''That fact, coupled with high interest rates has kept many investors on the sidelines, and the industry's pretax income is the lowest it's been in the last three and a half years.''

Meeting here in secrecy, representatives of eight major Western banks today began preparing a common response by Poland's more than 500 Western creditor banks to that country's growing debt repayment problems. The immediate concern was the request by Poland for $350 million in new loans that its military rulers said last week were necessary if the troubled country is to pay $500 million in interest that is due by the end of this month. Some 23 banks were reported to have been approached as the Polish Government attempted to line up the $350 million. Several already have refused, according to Swiss banking sources, and many others are opposed.

Uganda takes heart as gunfire yields to disco music A2 China blames the United States for the division of Korea A3 Weinberger presses Japan to ex- tend its military role A3 American veterans find warm welcomes in Hanoi A3 Turkish Premier says Greece is refusing to negotiate A4 U.S. cancels the visa of militant Ulster Protestant A5 Around the World A6 Soviet press rebuts charges of role in Polish crackdown A10 U.S. official confers with Euro- pean leaders on Polish crisis A10 Excerpts from Polish radio and TV broadcasts and from Tass A10 Stranded Polish tourists adopt "wait and see" outlook A11 Israeli press criticizes vehe- mence of Begin's attack on U.S. A12 Washington Talk Briefing B8 Crisis management team keeps busy in Poland crisis B8 Washington Follow-Up B8 Required Reading B8 General Poll finds 76% in U.S. foresee early war A8 Around the Nation A16 Appeals court bars mass release of prisoners A16 Riot at a Haitian refugee camp is the subject of negotiations A16 Suspect in California killing seized in Brink's inquiry B3 In a suburban Toys "R" Us store, toys are everything B3 School districts to help finance network of teacher centers B5 New Federal school lunch rules went into effect B7 Rome tribunal to rule on validity of Carey marriage B7 L.I.R.R. accused of placing em- ployees under surveillance B10 Science Times Lichens pose a puzzle in the hos- tile Antarctic C1 Education: the military's medi- cal school C1 Science Watch C2 The Doctor's World: Alcohol damage can be subtle C3 Q&A C3 About Education: A "computer school" begins next fall C4 Government/Politics Lower taxes, more speech money voted Congressmen A14 Richards expects to stay as Re- publican chairman A15 Albany Republicans weigh state takeover of home relief B1 Fall in gasoline sales has led many states to raise gas tax B9 Industry/Labor Recession fears spreading in western New York State B1 Arts/Entertainment How Jennifer Holliday fought pro- ducer - and won C5 Film critics vote "Reds" best film of '81 C7 Gail Godwin's "A Mother and Two Daughters" is reviewed C9 Jewish Repertory stages David Rush's "Elephants" C9 Mussorgsky by the American Symphony Orchestra C9 Portrait of man freed after 44 years in mental institution C15 Style Notes on Fashion B6 Where the good buys are in high- fashion clothes B6 Obituaries Selma Fraiberg, authority on early childhood B10 Sports Chargers beat Raiders, 23-10, win A.F.C. West title B11 B10 Colts dismiss McCormack as coach and name Kush B11 Jets look forward to playoff game at Shea B11 Dave Anderson on the wild-card owners B11 Collins's decision on Yanks tied to status of Jackson B11 Can the Giants maintain their in- tensity? B12 Packers delay verdict on Starr B12 City to consider marathon with prize money B13 Rangers getting back Maloney and Greschner B14 Fourth Sutter brother adds confu- sion to N.H.L. B14 Tradition fading out at Franklin High B15 Features/Notes Sports People B13 Going Out Guide C5 Notes on People C6 News Analysis David K. Shipler examines Israeli outburst at U.S. A1 Hedrick Smith assesses U.S. irri- tation with Israel A1 Drew Middleton on Army pre- paredness B9 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A18 Begin to Reagan Resource for the homeless A sobering reminder Mary Cantwell: brother rat Letters A18 Tom Wicker: Mr. Reagan's in- stinct A19 Lance Taylor: the costly arms trade A19 Michael Pollan: keeping televi- sion regulated A19 Jeri Laber: Hungarian dissi- dents' troubles A19

President Reagan today assembled his top economic advisers to get their predictions on economic growth and inflation rates for the 1983 fiscal year. Their views on growth and inflation will be key factors in setting the Administration's official economic forecast, a forecast that will determine whether Mr. Reagan accepts the advice of senior White House officials to call for $45 billion in new taxes during the next two fiscal years. Mr. Reagan is committed to keeping in place the 25 percent reduction in income taxes in the next three years that he has already signed into law, one participant at today's meetings said. But he has yet to accept his top advisers' unanimous view that some additional taxes in other areas are necessary.