What was going on when I was born?

BARBARA MAHONEY was immediately aware of the consequences of the birthday gift she gave her husband, Brian, last December. She had been married to a basketball coach for too long to have any doubts. For two years, cable television had been available to the residents of Rockville Centre, L.I. For all that time, Brian Mahoney, an assistant coach at St. John's University, wanted the cable installed in their home. His wife said nothing doing. But basketball coaches are a resourceful lot, and Mahoney knew that his mother-in-law, who lives nearby, had the cable. So every now and then he would mention to his wife that it had been a very long time since they had visited her mother--it had been a day or two, at least--and off he would go. Barbara Mahoney teaches gifted children. She is nobody's fool. ''He was always at my mother's, and I'm home.''

It flashes through Margaret Swinchoski's mind, each time she walks past the Kew Gardens, Queens, train station: This was where Kitty Genovese met her killer. Even in the small town in Vermont where Miss Swinchoski grew up, Catherine Genovese's case became a shocking symbol of apathy. Now Miss Swinchoski lives in the same quiet, middle-class neighborhood where Miss Genovese was slain 20 years ago as she tried to make her way from her car, parked in the train station lot, to her apartment on Austin Street. 'What Might Happen' For more than half an hour that night, Miss Genovese's killer stalked and stabbed her, again and again, as 38 of her neighbors silently turned away from her cries.

Charles Griffis came to California in 1977 when he heard he might be able to buy a McDonald's franchise in Santa Barbara. He had completed a training program for the restaurant chain, but was operating his own gasoline station in Michigan at the time. It turns out, though, that the store was in Los Angeles, ''on Santa Barbara Street, right in the middle of the ghetto,'' says Mr. Griffis. ''It was an old store in real bad shape.''

The credit markets seem increasingly convinced that pressures are building in the economy for higher interest rates but not so high that the economic recovery would end soon. Economic data have been better than expected, showing what Paul A. Volcker, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, last week called a ''strong economy in a number of directions.'' The improving data have fundamentally changed the outlook for interest rates. As the durability of the economic recovery has been proven, the debate about whether interest rates might rise or fall has been replaced by discussion about how large the rate increases will be.

Vigorous economic growth throughout 1983 has shaken up the rankings of the nation's 25 largest nonfinancial corporations. And, as a result of regulatory changes and merger decisions, the list of America's biggest companies is almost certain to undergo even more dramatic change this year. As in years past, the names of big oil companies continued to dominate the overall rankings in terms of revenues and net income. But after a second consecutive year of soft prices, the petroleum industry's grip on the top spots has weakened.

Companies Mobil said it had secretly agreed to buy 22 percent of Superior from the founding Keck family and would offer the company's remaining stockholders $45 a share in a deal valued at $5.7 billion. The deal, which continues the oil industry's consolidation trend, would not appear to face any antitrust difficulties because Superior does not own any refineries or gasoline stations. (Page A1.)

-West Africa, March 11 - South Africa today proposed the convening of a regional peace conference on South-West Africa that would include the rebels fighting for control over the territory. The conference would effectively sidestep United Nations involvement in the dispute over South-West Africa and promote the interests of political groups in the area regarded as South African surrogates. In a statement issued in Cape Town, Foreign Minister Roelof F. Botha said South Africa ''is willing to participate without any conditions except the realization of peace in a conference of all those involved in the current conflict in South-West Africa/Angola.'' Angola Would Take Part Among those that would attend, the statement said, would be South Africa, the Marxist Government of Angola and a South African-supported guerrilla group in Angola called the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. The other participants would be the insurgents fighting South Africa's control of South-West Africa and a South African-promoted body called the multiparty conference, made up of ''internal parties'' in the territory.

President Hafez al-Assad of Syria shuffled his Cabinet today and named three new Vice Presidents that included his younger brother. Arab political figures and Western analysts said they viewed the changes as an effort by President Assad to carefully balance power among his potential political successors. They were divided, however, over the political implications of the appointments for the President's brother, Rifaat al-Assad, 47 years old. There have been reports that Rifaat has been engaged in a power struggle with senior officers in Syria's regular armed forces.

Thousands of people made their way through steadily falling snow here today to bid an emotional farewell to Bishop John J. O'Connor, who will be installed next week as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York. He has been in Scranton only eight months, people noted, but he has touched this city profoundly. ''I thank God for sending you to us - if even for a short time,'' the Rev. J. Carroll McCormick, the retired Bishop of Scranton, said at a special farewell mass at the gymnasium of the University of Scranton. Other tributes were less ceremonious. One woman baked Bishop O'Connor a cheesecake, another presented him with simple sketches she made of him and others just grasped his hand and whispered, ''Thank you.''

Castle & Cooke Inc., the Hawaii- based food producer and distributor, said yesterday that it was fighting a hostile takeover attempt by Charles E. Hurwitz, a Texas financier and oilman and participant in numerous corporate raids. On Friday, the company obtained a temporary restraining order in Hawaii's First Circuit Court blocking Mr. Hurwitz and several of the companies he controls from acquiring more Castle & Cooke stock in the next 10 days. The company said that Mr. Hurwitz had already obtained ''in excess of 10 percent'' of the company's outstanding shares.

A United Press International dispatch from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia published March 7 incorrectly characterized a resolution on Angola and Mozambique approved by the Organization of African Unity. The resolution expressed ''sympathy and deep understanding for the diplomatic efforts undertaken by Angola and Mozambique to preserve their independence and national sovereignty.''

The new New Jersey Generals proved today that they can play with the elite of the United States Football League when they beat the Philadelphia Stars, 17-14, at Giants Stadium before a crowd of 46,716. The Stars, who had the best record in the league last season and lost to the Michigan Panthers in the championship game, thought the Generals were impressive. ''Outstanding defense,'' said Chuck Fusina, the quarterback of the Stars. ''They covered everything very well. Their success is good for the league. I'm looking forward to playing them the next time. I think we're just as good as they are.''