What was going on when I was born?

Before leaving office at the end of the year, Governor Carey will make a second trip to Japan to complete a deal with Hino Motors Ltd. to build buses in New York State, an aide close to the Governor said today. The aide confirmed that the trip was official, that it was related to negotiations with Hino and that it would occur before Mr. Carey's term of office ends. Stung by criticism of his trip to Japan in February 1981, Mr. Carey had said upon his return that New Yorkers would see ''immediate results'' of his efforts to sell the Empire State in the Orient.

Lawyers representing thousands of workers with asbestos-related claims against the Manville Corporation asked the Federal Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan yesterday to set aside Manville's bankruptcy petition on the ground that it was filed in bad faith and was an abuse of the bankruptcy procedure. In response, Manville said that its filing was ''appropriate and necessary'' and it was confident that the court would uphold the company's position. Manville also said that yesterday's action had been expected. Manville, the world's largest asbestos company, filed for protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the Federal bankruptcy laws on Aug.26, asserting that its financial health was threatened by the flood of litigation it faces from workers who have developed asbestosis, mesothelioma or other lung diseases as a result of their workplace exposure to asbestos.

Top executives of the nation's major oil companies, saying that their industry faces bleaker short-term prospects than in any recent year, asserted today that domestic demand for crude oil will remain flat for at least another year and that oil prices may fall. The oilmen made their predictions here at the American Petroleum Institute's annual meeting, which was also attended by James G. Watt, the Secretary of the Interior. Addressing more than 1,000 oil company officials, Mr. Watt pledged to continue the department's program of making vast areas, including publicly held lands and tracts on the outer continental shelf, available for oil exploration and production. The executives also said that the current overabundance of oil refining capacity and worldwide oversupplies of crude oil were forcing them to reduce their investments in oil exploration and the development of alternative energy sources.

Twenty-seven prisoners died and at least 43 persons were injured in a fire early this morning at the crowded county jail here. Thick, acrid smoke from the fire overcame a jailer who had the keys to many of the cells, and firefighters called in tow trucks and cables to rip away bars and cell doors to try to save the unconscious prisoners. As the jailer was being rescued, his keys were lost, delaying rescue efforts. The authorities said they believed a prisoner, Robert E. Pates of Granite City, Ill., started the fire in the foam padding in his cell. Mr. Pates, 31 years old, who had been arrested twice by Biloxi police in the last three days and was being held on a charge of ''lunacy,'' was charged with 27 counts of capital murder, said Albert Necaise, the District Attorney for Harrison County.

An article Sunday about a strike of Legal Aid lawyers incorrectly described a postponement of a request for an injunction. The postponement was accepted by the lawyers' union, the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. The Legal Aid Society is not a party to the suit.

Spy scandal ruffles a very proper English town A2 Changes in China's armed forces appear to be underway A3 Iranian President vows a move on Baghdad A4 Yugoslavs try to quell strife over ethnic Albanians A6 Around the World A7 U.S. said to be preparing drug case on ex-Bolivian official A8 Hondurans disappointed at civil- ian rule A9 German defense chief cautions on missile delay A10 Excerpts from Begin's testimony before Israeli inquiry panel A12 King Hussein to visit Reagan on Dec. 21 A15 Government/Politics Reagan meets with aides on cru- cial budget decisions A18 Supreme Court roundup A27 Excerpts of report on New York City's fiscal prospects B4 Washington Talk Politics: '82 campaign's perfec- tion of high-tech mudslinging A26 Trouble spending money at the Synthetic Fuels Corporation A26 Briefing A26 Industry/Labor Rivals wind up contest for presi- dency of mine union A23 General Around the Nation A16 Government presents star wit- ness in teamster trial A22 Warning in environmental agen- cy's acid rain report A25 Presbyterian Hospital wants five acres of Baker Field B16 Science Times India tries to rekindle science C1 How power affects the powerful C1 Education: Schools seek private funds C1 Science Watch C2 Where polar bears invade civili- zation C3 Personal Computers C4 Science Q&A C4 About Education C7 Arts/Entertainment Ephraim Kishon's Yiddish "Mar- riage Contract" C9 Ballet Theater and dancers reach agreement C10 Grisman Quartet at Carnegie Hall C10 Teresa Berganza, Mezzo-Soprano gives recital C11 First novels by two women re- viewed C12 Chamber Music Society of Lin- coln Center plays Berg C13 Claudio Arrau with Scottish Sym- phony C15 Style Notes on Fashion C8 New watchwords in fashion: fit and formality C8 Sports Pages TV/Sports: Strike is a costly headache for the networks B4 Saints' players approve owners' offer, but most clubs oppose it B5 Devils tie Capitals, 2-2 B5 Basketball rivalry between King brothers is for keeps B5 Mullen rising quickly in N.H.L. B5 Players: Steeler rookie has no place to go B5 Scouting: The Dodgers' perfec- tionist recalled B6 A gifted quarterback ignites Duke attack B6 Ira Berkow on reactions to the pro football strike B7 Plays: Improvisation was the key to 2 points B7 Features/Notes New York Day by Day B3 Sports People B6 Charlotte Curtis visits Lady Bird Johnson C9 Going Out Guide C13 News Analysis Marvine Howe examines Turkish constitutional referendum A5 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A30 Withholding, in our interest Psychotherapy by ballot Governor Kean's tax window Topics: Extravagant charges Letters A30 Flora Lewis: A Russian's bitter satire A31 Sydney H. Schanberg: Our new fiscal crisis A31 Michael Hurd: "Old" doesn't mean "poor" A31 Daniel Yergin: Pangloss on the energy future A31 John Waterbury: The Arabs on edge A31

It is almost a reflex in the aging factory complex here where Rolls-Royce automobiles are assembled. Visitors who ask what happens when the luxury cars break down are smilingly told: ''Our cars don't break down. Occasionally, they fail to proceed.'' This carefully cultivated belief that there is nothing like a Rolls-Royce, except, perhaps, its lower-priced cousin the Bentley, has long provided a reliable shield for Rolls during economic downturns. Even in lean times, demand has usually been strong enough that Rolls purchasers frequently had to wait several months for delivery.

The Citizens Budget Commission charged yesterday that New York City's new labor contracts with municipal employees were ''a serious mistake'' and ''too expensive.'' The commission, a nonprofit civic watchdog group that monitors the city's finances and services, urged that the contracts be renegotiated. The city and its principal union leaders immediately rejected the recommendation. But with layoffs, service cuts and tax increases in the offing to close a growing municipal budget deficit, Mayor Koch declined to rule out ''adjustments'' in the agreements next year. The contracts were signed in September and October.

''No red light was lit on the basis of these things.'' - Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel. (A1:6.)

For decades, Abercrombie & Fitch catered to the gentleman outdoorsman, whose esoteric needs might call for anything from provisions for an Antarctic expedition to cashmere hunting underwear. By the 1970's, however, the sporting goods company discovered that the demand for much of its unusual - and expensive - merchandise had dried up. Five years ago, Abercrombie closed its doors in New York City and suburbs and several other cities - but apparently not for the last time. In a new guise, and under new entrepreneurs, the famous name is returning to the metropolitan area.

Columbia University announced yesterday the formal beginning of a five-year effort to raise $400 million, which officials called the largest campaign for donations ever undertaken by an American institution of higher education. ''Our goal is unprecedented among the world's universities,'' Michael I. Sovern, Columbia's president, said at a news conference. He said $85 million had already been collected.

The testing is over. Now comes the time, after four shakedown flights over the last year and a half, for the first demonstration that the American space shuttle can do what it was designed to do: deliver satellites into orbit around the earth. The satellite launching is scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon, high over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. From the open cargo bay of the space shuttle Columbia, if all goes according to plan, will spring a 7,000-pound communications satellite. After astronauts steer the Columbia a safe distance away, a rocket attached to the satellite will fire automatically to boost it from the shuttle's 185-mile-high orbit to a position 22,300 miles over the Equator. A day later, on Friday afternoon, the operation is to be repeated with the release of a second communications satellite.