What was going on when I was born?

A giant cigarette billboard advertisement that recently went up between the Henry Hudson Parkway and Riverside Drive West at 158th Street has aroused the ire of Washington Heights residents who consider it an esthetic ''eyesore'' that should be removed. The trouble, according to sympathetic elected and community officials, is that there apparently is no Federal, state or city regulation that can be used to get the billboard removed from the old, unused freight tracks on which it - and another one like it at 145th Street - sit. The unused railroad right of way, a weed-encrusted vestige of the defunct New York Central Railroad that runs above ground along the Hudson River north of Columbia University, is now owned by Conrail, a quasi-public body.

A husband and wife pleaded guilty yesterday in a Federal fraud case involving more than $5 million in which a witness was slain after being abducted from a West Side parking garage. The witness, Margaret Barbera, was shot to death last April. Three CBS employees were shot to death while apparently trying to rescue Miss Barbera as she was being abducted from the roof of the parking garage at Pier 92.

The 1982 Elections Lieut. Gov. Mario M. Cuomo claimed victory in an extremely close governor's race in New York as Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan won a second term by a record margin, defeating his Republican opponent, Florence M. Sullivan. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat-Liberal, led by a narrow margin over his Republican-Conservative opponent, Lewis E. Lehrman, who had led in the running tally until well over half the votes had been counted. (Page A1, Column 6.) A strong Democratic tide swept across the nation, with Republican Representatives and other officeholders defeated from New England to the Southwest in midterm elections fueled by dissatisfaction over President Reagan's economic record. The Democratic trend was strongest in the House races, where some Republican incumbents believed to be secure suffered unexpected defeats. (A1:1-2.)

Democrats won key elections across the nation yesterday with Republican officeholders defeated from New England to the Southwest in voting fueled by unhappiness over President Reagan's economic record. The trend was strongest in House races, where the Democratic gains approached 30 seats and several apparently solid Republican incumbents suffered surprise losses. With about half the House elected, the only Democratic incumbents who had clearly lost were two New Yorkers, Representatives Peter A. Peyser and Leo C. Zeferetti, who had been thrown into districts against Republican incumbents. It seemed clear that the Democrats were likely to win enough seats in the House to make it much more difficult for President Reagan to win sweeping approval of his budget programs. Impact on Reagan Program The likely gains seemed sure to produce longer and tougher fights in the House, and even the Senate, and to force Mr. Reagan to compromise more often at higher levels of domestic spending, or else go through a long series of fights over vetoes.

USED in its narrowest and most basic sense, taste refers to the perception and evaluation of food flavors as experienced in the mouth. But in broader usage, taste refers to a judgment based on discerning, appreciating and evaluating beauty, proportions, appropriatness or esthetic excellence in manners, art, music, clothing, design or other creative endeavor. How closely, if at all, does one's taste for food reflect or influence taste in other areas, and do preferences for food change as one develops sophistication in other matters? Those were the questions recently asked a group of men and women who are tastemakers in music, photography, publishing, store and window display, sculpture and fashion. As varied as these personalities and talents are, there are a number of interesting consistencies about the food preferences expressed by each of them. Although all are aware of the benefits of sound nutrition and diet, they regard food first as one of life's great esthetic pleasures. All care very much about the appearance of food and the surroundings in which it is served, although they expressed loathings for the pretentious in both. All remember with greatest longing the foods they ate as children.

The great majority of voters saw yesterday's Congressional elections as a referendum on President Reagan's economic program and used the opportunity to shift back toward the political center by giving Democratic candidates a decided preference around the nation, according to The New York Times/CBS News Poll. Moved more by Democratic attacks on unemployment and Social Security than by Mr. Reagan's appeal to ''stay the course'' with his economic program, the majority preferred Democrats over Republicans by roughly 5 to 4 in the Congressional races, the survey showed. The shift back toward a more normal political balance from the 1980 Reagan-Republican landslide occurred most sharply in the Northeast and South, where voters gave the Democrats the same levels of support as in 1978. This enabled the Democrats to pick up a Senate seat in New Jersey, several southern Congressional districts and apparently the Governor's chair in Texas. Even President Reagan's late campaign foray into North Carolina failed to halt Democratic gains.

Coast Guard officials said yesterday that they had authorized a civilian scuba diver to search the sunken fishing boat Joan La Rie III and try to determine what caused the boat to capsize and sink about 8.5 miles off Point Pleasant, N.J., with the loss of eight persons. Capt. Ronald C. Pickup, the chairman of the marine investigation board looking into the sinking, said that the diver, Pat Yananton of Point Pleasant, had offered to make the descent to the ocean floor and search for the vessel, which is in water about 80 feet deep. Captain Pickup said the diver would attempt to take underwater videotape pictures of the vessel and the engine room, which witnesses speculate had flooded and had contributed to the sinking of the 47-foot fishing boat in rough seas a week ago Sunday.

IN Detroit last month, several thousand desperate people, ranging from a 19-year-old unmarried mother to a 55-year-old unemployed automobile worker, lined up for a handful of job openings as unskilled laborers. In New York two weeks ago, 60 people spent the weekend in line, sleeping on the sidewalk to assure acceptance of their applications as carpenters' apprentices. Some of the out-of work families who left the industrial Middle West for the supposedly greener pastures of Texas are being forced to live in their cars. In Austin last week, 2,817 applicants lined up for 187 jobs. You needn't look beyond the morning paper or evening news to appreciate the extent of the nation's unemployment problem, now worse than at any other time since the Great Depression. In this fiscal year, one in five American workers will experience a period of unemployment. There are now more than 11 million Americans out of work. But while nearly everyone realizes the economic hardships associated with losing a job, few appreciate the psychological, physical and social consequences, some of which can leave lasting marks on individuals, families and communities long after the job problem has been resolved.

Key Senatorial Races N.Y. - Moynihan, DN.J. - Lautenberg, D Conn. - Weicker, RPa.

''The message is simple. El Salvador must make progress in bringing the murderers of our citizens, including those who ordered the murders, to justice; in advancing human rights, and in controlling the abuses of some elements of the security forces.

Poland's creditor banks in the West have agreed to lend Poland $600 million as part of an accord to ease the repayment of Polish debt that comes due this year, diplomatic sources reported today. Under the rescheduling agreement, which is expected to be signed in Vienna Wednesday or Thursday, Poland would have until next March to pay the foreign banks about $1.1 billion of the $3.3 billion it originally was scheduled to pay this year. Of that amount, $2.3 billion represents principal and $1 billion interest.

A chart on Sunday, accompanying a New York Times/CBS News poll, in- correctly stated the total figures for Congressional preferences by party. The totals should have been 38 per cent ''prefer Republican'' and 52 per cent ''prefer Democrat.''