What was going on when I was born?

In a move to expand its big meatpacking operations, the Occidental Petroleum Corporation said today that it was seeking to acquire the Wilson Foods Corporation for $95 million in cash. Wilson had been expected to emerge within weeks from bankruptcy proceedings. Occidental told the Federal bankruptcy court in Oklahoma City, where Wilson is based, that it would file an alternative to Wilson's plan for reorganization. A spokesman for Wilson refused to comment in detail on the proposal, saying that executives had not seen it.

Mayor Koch says in a new book that he was ''guilty of hubris'' in running for Governor in 1982 only months after being overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term at City Hall and recalls that ''in my heart, I knew that I really belonged in New York City.'' The book, titled simply ''Mayor,'' is a celebration of Mr. Koch's personality. It blends personal reminiscences, anecdotes about his friends and antagonists in public life, generous excerpts from his speeches and from newspaper stories about his exploits, and explanations of his relationship with municipal unions and minority groups. The book is to be published this spring by Simon and Schuster, and copies of uncorrected proofs have already begun circulating in the city's literary and political circles.

MOST people have long been aware of the potential dangers of high cholesterol. For more than a decade, the American Heart Association, later joined by more than a dozen health organizations, has been urging Americans to lower their blood cholesterol levels by eating less of the foods that are rich in cholesterol and cholesterol-raising saturated fats. But most Americans who heeded this advice at all did so only halfheartedly. The link between high blood cholesterol and premature heart disease was, after all, only statistical. It had yet to be shown convincingly that lowering cholesterol levels for a period of years would actually reduce the risk of heart attacks. Now, however, a Federally sponsored 10-year study has demonstrated conclusively that lowering cholesterol levels in the blood helps to prevent heart attacks. The study, a cooperative scientific effort conducted among 3,806 middle-aged men, all of whom had abnormally high cholesterol levels, showed that for every 1 percent reduction in cholesterol, there was a 2 percent fall in the rate of coronary heart disease.

P. Takis Veliotis, a former executive of the General Dynamics Corporation, has offered to provide information to Justice Department officials that he contends can prove that the company defrauded the Navy of hundreds of millions of dollars, persons familiar with the matter said today. In return, Mr. Veliotis, who is under indictment for Federal kickback charges, wants partial immunity from prosecution. But Government officials said today that the Justice Department was not inclined to make such a deal at this time. John H. Gross, a lawyer for Mr. Veliotis, who fled to Greece before he was indicted, said, ''I will not comment on pending negotiations between Mr. Veliotis and the Government.''

The Supreme Court ruled today that consumers do not violate Federal copyright law when they use video recorders to tape television programs for their own use. Neither, the Court held in a 5-to-4 decision, do companies that make and sell the machines violate the copyright law by making them available to the general public. The long-awaited decision was a major victory for the electronics industry, which has sold nine million video cassette recorders to American consumers. The industry, with more than $1 billion in yearly domestic sales of video recorders and tapes, had operated under a legal cloud since a 1981 decision by a Federal appeals court in California.

''We are living longer, we are living healthier, and we are providing the benefits of our unparallelled health care system more widely and more equitably.'' - Margaret Heckler, Secretary of Health and Human Services. (A17:1.)

The majority leader of the State Senate said today that he was ''flabbergasted'' at the increase in spending in Governor Cuomo's proposed budget and he called for up to $300 million in tax cuts instead. The majority leader, Warren M. Anderson, Republican of Binghamton, said he believed that Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, had underestimated tax revenues and that the state could easily support cuts in one of the state's major taxes. ''We should make the tax cut as high as we can make it, in fairness for those people who can't care for themselves,'' he said. Revenue Measures Questioned Mr. Anderson's remarks, which came shortly after Mr. Cuomo briefed legislators on his $35.4 billion financial plan, marked the beginning of the annual ritual of budget negotiations. Democratic legislators accused Mr. Anderson of engaging in an election- year political ploy.

Levi Strauss & Company, the nation's largest apparel company, until now has resisted putting a designer label on its clothing. But the jeans giant has obviously changed its mind. Today, with the announcement of a licensing deal with the designer Perry Ellis, Levi joins the growing number of retailers and manufacturers who have teamed up with designers. Mr. Ellis will design a new line of active sportswear, including a designer jean, for the $2.6 billion company. ''We have never done anything like this before,'' said Robert Haas, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Levi.

Secretary of State George P. Shultz said today that the United States firmly believed that ''pragmatic progress'' could be achieved on arms control and other East-West issues. He called upon the Soviet Union to join the United States in a new, more comprehensive dialogue. His speech at the opening round of the East-West conference on security in Europe was consistent with President Reagan's call on Monday for a more constructive Soviet-American relationship. Chemical Weapon Treaty The only new detail offered by Mr. Shultz was an announcement that the United States planned to offer a draft treaty for ''the complete and verifiable elimination of chemical weapons on a global basis'' at the disarmament conference in Geneva in a few months. Work has been proceeding at the 40-nation conference in Geneva on banning all chemical weapons, although Mr. Shultz acknowledged at a press conference after the speech that verification measures would be difficult.

At first glance, the planned acquisition of General Electric's housewares operations by Black & Decker looks like a deal neither party could refuse. But some analysts caution that despite considerable benefits, it is risky business for the Black & Decker Manufacturing Company to move so forcefully from the tool shed to the kitchen counter. The company's first major marketing problem will be how fast and how cleverly it can phase out the well known G. E. brand name and convince consumers that Black & Decker is a name they can trust on toasters and coffee makers. In addition, the company faces stiff competition as it tries to become a household name in the $14 billion market for small electric appliances.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984 The Economy The High Court said home video recording does not violate copyright law when the tapes of television programs are for personal use. Nor do the companies that make and sell the machines violate the law by making them available to the public, the Court held. The decision was a triumph for the electronics industry. (Page A1.) But it left an array of related copyright issues unresolved. (D21.) In Washington, movie industry officials vowed to carry their battle to Congress. (D20.) And in Hollywood there was talk of a legal attack on taping from cable and pay-cable TV. (D21.) Producers of home video equipment, although pleased by the decision, saw little impact on sales, which are already booming. (D21.)

on medium-range missiles in Europe in an effort to break the stalemate in talks with the Soviet Union, a possibility that has reportedly been discussed within the Reagan Administration, is opposed by Paul H. Nitze, the chief United States negotiator. (A4:1.) Secretary of State George P. Shultz called on Moscow to join the United States in a new, more comprehensive dialogue on arms control and other East-West issues. His address in Stockholm was consistent with President Reagan's call on Monday for a more constructive Soviet-American relationship. (Page A1, Column 2.) A British-Chinese agreement on the future of Hong Kong after Britain's lease on the crown colony expires in 1997 should be reached now, a senior Chinese official said. Ji Pengfei, who directs the Government's Office of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, said the ''time is ripe'' for such an agreement. He detailed what appeared to be Peking's plan for running Hong Kong. (A1:1.)