What was going on when I was born?

Politics on French television: Not how much but whose A2 Bonn party caucus affirms switch in alliances A3 Britain's Labor Party shifts to the right A4 At U.N. open debate, nations set out their view of the world A7 Egypt openly urges U.S. to press Israel on leaving Lebanon A8 In Egypt, second thoughts about peace with Israel A8 Text of statement by Israeli Cabinet on Beirut massacre inquiry A8 P.L.O. aide killed in ambush was a top strategist A9 Shultz and Gromyko confer at length in New York A11 U.S. lifts military sanctions imposed on Argentina A12 Soviet and U.S. teams back in Geneva for missile talks A13 Government/Politics U.S. moves to fine shops removing catalytic converters A20 Urban renewal of the West Side plods along B1 City board rescinds a tax exemption for New York Hilton Hotel B3 Washington Talk Briefing B8 Working Profile: Rep. Silvio O. Conte of Massachusetts B8 Pending bill pits the District against Congress, again B8 General Around the Nation A16 Gannett Company must get rid of its Oakland newspapers A21 Casino panel orders union to remove three officers B28 Features/Notes New York Day by Day B2 Woman in the News: Marie Garibaldi, future court nominee B3 Sports People B14 Going Out Guide C21 The Living Section Food A vintage year to start a wine cellar C1 Favorites from the 60-Minute Gourmet C1 Raw clams implicated in hepa- titis cases C3 The 60-Minute Gourmet C3 Food Notes C7 Wine Talk C13 Living Personal Health: Paying the price of workaholism C1 Metropolitan Diary C2 Kitchen Equipment C2 Discoveries C8 Divorce appears to dip with economy C12 A vocational school gets its own McDonald's C12 Brazilian playboy: the last of a breed C14 Health/Science New element of matter is created by West German scientists A25 Arts/Entertainment Peter Gabriel's philosophy of his rock music C17 Christopher Keene named City Opera's artistic supervisor C19 Betty Neustat's "The Price of Genius" is staged C20 James A. Michener's novel "Space" is reviewed C24 Cutbacks expected at CBS News C26 Carol Burnett in "Life of the Party" on CBS-TV C28 Obituaries Samuel C. Jackson, Nixon Administration housing official D26 Sports Pages Maple contradicts testimony in race-fixing case B10 N.L.R.B. rules in favor of N.F.L. players on two charges B11 Royals down Angels and trail by 3 1/2 B11 Brewers win and increase lead to 3 games B11 American cyclist moves up on European circuit B11 Scouting: Money possibility for New York Marathon B12 Plays: A long line drive brings Cards a title B13 Yankees set back Indians, 6-4 B15 Mets defeat Pirates, 3-2 B15 George Vecsey on the danger of a quick fix B15 News Analysis James M. Markham assesses Bonn's political situation A3 Robert Pear on significance of new Reagan busing stance A17 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A26 Israel finds its voice Potential bombs vs. business So saith the Lord, briefly Remember crime victims Letters A26 James Reston: let's look at the record A27 Edgar M. Bronfman: end tax subsidies for mergers A27 Adam Hochschild: East German dissent A27 Edward W. Said: "purifying," Is- raelis called it A27

Citicorp of New York acquired Fidelity Savings and Loan of California. Citicorp acted within hours of Federal Reserve Board approval of the acquisition. The Fed's decision, which may affect interstate banking guidelines, ended intense lobbying by Citicorp to establish a position in California's booming deposit market. (Page D1.) Massey-Ferguson said its lenders have tentatively agreed to restructure its $1.27 billion debt by exchanging a large part of the principal and interest for equity in the company. Analysts, though they consider the accord essential for the survival of the company, are still doubtful that it can withstand continuing sales declines. (D1.)

A 33-YEAR-OLD doctor was recently taking a six-month vacation, spending his days playing tennis, skiing, reading books, going to plays and museums, camping out and generally discovering, as he put it, ''what life is really all about.'' He explained that all his life he had worked to please his parents and mentors. He studied hard in college and harder in medical school and went on to complete two medical residency programs and get board certification in both specialties. Last spring he took a camping trip with his wife and a group of experienced campers and discovered that he was ''a dud.'' ''I didn't know anything about anything,'' he said. ''I had nothing to contribute. All I'd ever done was work.'' ' The doctor was a workaholic, and when he realized the extent and consequences of his addiction, he decided to do something constructive about it before life had passed him by. Most workaholics never have such revelations; when they do they are unlikely to do anyhing about them. Working long and hard is the way they know and love and they see little reason to change. Contrary to popular notions about work addicts, all are

ALMOST all the recipes that have run in the 60-Minute Gourmet over the years have been innovations of one sort or another. Some were pure creations, dishes that were not based on anything I had read about or dined on before; they were stimulated instead by a particular occasion or an item of food that was on hand. Others have been improvisations, coming from dishes that I have either heard about or recall from my travels here and abroad. Still others are reproductions of dishes that I first cooked as a professional chef or have known about since childhood.

If you've ever dreamed of having your own wine cellar but put it off, delay no longer. Prices are down on almost all wines and there is a good chance that they will go even lower in the next six months. The biggest reductions so far are in European wines, mostly because of the strength of the dollar. But the California wines are following suit. If you have been waiting for bargains, your time may have come. In any case, it's not a bad idea to pause for a moment to think about what to buy before charging off to the spirit shop, checkbook in hand. To ease decision making, herewith a hypothetical cellar made up of $1,000 worth of wine. It certainly isn't the definitive wine cellar; the possible combinations are infinite. But it should meet most wine fanciers' expectations in some areas if not all. A wine collection is, after all, personal. It reflects the taste and the financial condition of its owner just as much as a library of books or a house full of pictures.

Massey-Ferguson Ltd., the big Canadian farm-equipment manufacturer, said yesterday that it had reached preliminary agreement with its 200 lenders to restructure $1.27 billion in debt by exchanging a large portion for equity in the company. Massey, the world's largest tractor manufacturer, said it expects the agreement to save it about $600 million over the next three years. The restructured loan agreement should become final by Nov. 30, Massey said. The agreement, the second such accord the financially distressed company has struck with its lenders in little more than a year, was considered essential for Massey's survival. But analysts said it was still uncertain whether the company could withstand continuing declines in farm equipment sales.

The yen fell to a five-year low in trading against the dollar here today - finishing at 269.50 yen to the dollar - and Finance Minister Michio Watanabe said ''there were no signs whatever'' that the yen's weakness would end soon. Bank officials interpreted Mr. Watanabe's remarks as indicating that the Government does not plan to take measures to curb the yen's continuing depreciation against the dollar. Nevertheless, the Bank of Japan intervened in the market periodically today, selling an estimated $100 million to support the yen. The bank was said to have sold $200 to $300 million yesterday in similar attempts to support the yen.

President Reagan said tonight that the Marines would land in Beirut on Wednesday and would remain until Israeli and Syrian forces were withdrawn from Lebanon. In a televised news conference at the White House, Mr. Reagan said he was ''reasonably optimistic'' that both Is- Transcript of news session, page A22. rael and Syria would withdraw their troops ''as quickly as possible to their own borders.'' ''We've had declarations from both countries that they want to do that,'' Mr. Reagan said. He said the withdrawal was ''going to come rapidly,'' but he declined to say when.

In a ruling that may set a precedent for interstate banking, the Federal Reserve Board yesterday gave Citicorp of New York permission to acquire the Fidelity Savings and Loan Association of California. Immediately after receiving approval from the Federal Reserve, Citicorp signed the necessary papers and acquired Fidelity. It marks the first time a New York bank will be able to collect consumer deposits in California and the first time any bank holding company has been allowed to acquire an out-of-state savings and loan association. The Federal Reserve, in its announcement, indicated that it might approve more such interstate acquisitions of troubled savings institutions by bank holding companies. In approving this acquisition, however, the Fed insisted that Fidelity, as a Citicorp subsidiary, remain totally independent of Citicorp's other activities.

The first retail stores that specialized in the sale of personal computers to individuals and businesses did not have much competition in the mid-1970's. As a result, profit margins were high and price competition among manufacturers was minimal. But the lack of cooperation between what few stores there were and lack of communication with the manufacturers of the equipment inhibited the growth of the retail industry. In 1976 Computerland Inc., based in Hayward, Calif., took advantage of the relatively small and unorganized market. By offering manufacturers a chain of franchise stores that could guarantee trained sales staffs and more efficient distribution, it soon became the largest personal computer franchise chain in the nation.

Four of the six defendants in the Brink's murder and robbery case were excused today from pretrial hearings after abandoning their legal right to challenge a key element of the state's case against them. The four abandoned the right to challenge the admissibiity of evidence that the state says identifies them as participants in the $1.6 million robbery of an armored car in Nanuet on Oct. 20, 1981, and a subsequent shootout at a roadbock four miles away. Two police officers and a Brink's guard were killed in the incidents. The departure of the defendants from the Rockland County Courthouse came near the end of another stormy court session. It was dominated by contentions by the four that they were ''freedom fighters'' and ''prisoners of war'' and that court proceedings against them were illegal.

Mexico's currency crisis is forcing Mexicans who own billions of dollars worth of real estate in the United States to offer it at fire-sale prices or lose their investment entirely through foreclosure. The dumping of property, particularly of high-priced condominiums in resort areas, has followed restrictions on currency movements that have made it impossible for most Mexican owners of property here to make mortgage payments because they cannot send money out of Mexico. Although no one is certain how much real estate in the United States is held by Mexican investors, estimates run as high as $30 billion; much of it may be under mortgages at rates of 17 or 18 percent. The sites range from the Northeast through Miami to other Sun Belt and Western cities.