The England Under-21 defender - just back after a year-long injury nightmare - struck with a spectacular free-kick after John Filan had saved Nolberto Solano's controversial spot-kick.
Wigan were looking to build on the battling ten-man draw at Watford in midweek without Fitz Hall, who was starting a three-match ban after failing in his appeal against the red card at Vicarage Road.
Hall's absence meant that Taylor, who figured in three different positions at Watford, started in his favoured slot at right-back with Matt Jackson and Emmerson Boyce in central defence and Antonio Valencia returning in midfield.
And for Paul Jewell, it was a special day - his 250th match in charge making him Wigan's longest serving manager ahead of Bryan Hamilton.
Newcastle, fresh from success in Europe, had skipper Scott Parker and Antoine Sibierski back after injury and defender Oguchi Onyewu returned after missing the midweek game.
United had the first clear-cut chance after ten minutes when Damien Duff was allowed space on the left to measure the cross perfectly for Obafemi Martins just outside the six-yard box.
But the Nigerian striker, looking to add to his run of goals in four consecutive games, failed to direct the header and it went well wide.
Wigan new boy Caleb Folan, preferred to Henri Camara in the starting line-up, was proving a real handful for the Newcastle defence and on one occasion Shay Given had to chase out of his area to deny the former Chesterfield star a chance to shoot.
Newcastle threatened again when Martins slipped the ball to Duff but Filan just got a hand to it as he tried to lift it over the keeper from close range.
Aussie Filan was in action again, getting down low to deal with a powerfully struck Martins shot, but Wigan then missed an opening when Jackson knocked the ball into the box. Emile Heskey opted to square it for Lee McCulloch rather than shoot and the Scotland international hammered wide.
There was controversy when ref Alan Wiley pointed to the spot after Sibierski went down chasing the back-heel from Martins.
It looked like an accidental collision with Taylor but the Wigan protests were waved away as the official awarded the penalty.
Filan, playing only his second Premiership game of the season as replacement for the injured Chris Kirkland, was booked but kept cool to save Solano's spot-kick going full-stretch to tip it round his right post.
It proved a costly miss as the Latics snatched the lead after 40 minutes. Onyewu gave away the free-kick for blocking Leighton Baines and Taylor floated it past Given and into the far corner.
Wigan almost doubled the lead when McCulloch got past Steven Taylor and let fly but this time Given was alive to the danger and the keeper came to the rescue again keeping out a McCulloch header in first-half injury-time.
Newcastle kept plugging away but Filan was on top form holding on to a Taylor header from James Milner's free-kick and then saving a long-range effort from Andrew Carroll.