The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. First airing in 1989, it has run for over 35 seasons, making it the longest-running American primetime animated series. The show follows the Simpson family and satirizes American society and culture.
Remarkably, the show has repeatedly appeared to 'predict' real-world events years or even decades before they happened. From Trump's presidency to Disney's acquisition of Fox, from smartwatches to video calling, The Simpsons seems to possess an uncanny ability to foresee the future.
Of course, these 'predictions' largely stem from the writing team's sharp social observation, the statistical probability of 35+ seasons of content, and the comedic technique of pushing reality to absurd extremes. This site compiles 18 of the most famous cases and verifies each one.
Core Message
"We just took things to their most absurd extreme — and then reality caught up." — The Simpsons writing team
1989 — The Simpsons premieres, becoming America's longest-running animated series1995 — Season 6 features smartwatch, video calling and other tech predictions2000 — S11E17 'Bart to the Future' predicts Trump presidency2003 — Multiple predictions about animal attacks and scientific discoveries come true2013 — Disney-Fox acquisition plotline becomes reality 5 years later2017 — Trump inaugurated as president, The Simpsons makes headlines again
Prediction cases compiled from The Simpsons episode content and public reporting (Wikipedia )
Verification based on public news reports and historical records (Snopes )
Editorial opinions do not represent academic consensus; some 'predictions' are debated
Site icon: donut symbol — Homer Simpson's iconic favorite food and one of the show's most recognizable cultural symbols
The Simpsons Predictions All Prophecies 18 Q&A entries in total
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: In a scene set in 2010, Lisa's fiancé uses a wrist-mounted device to make calls, closely resembling a modern smartwatch.
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: In the same episode, characters make face-to-face video calls through screens, similar to FaceTime or Skype.
S6E8 'Lisa on Ice' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: A handheld device in the episode auto-'corrects' text to something wrong, eerily similar to modern smartphone autocorrect failures.
S11E17 'Bart to the Future' (2000)
Matt Groening et al.: In a flash-forward plot, Lisa becomes US president and mentions inheriting 'quite a budget crunch from President Trump' — a massive budget deficit.
S10E5 'When You Dish Upon a Star' (1998)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows a 20th Century Fox sign with the subtitle 'A Division of Walt Disney Co.'
S5E10 '$pringfield' (1993)
Matt Groening et al.: In the episode, Siegfried & Roy's white tiger attacks its trainer during a performance.
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode features a tablet computer used for note-taking and reading, operated like a book.
S5E9 'The Last Temptation of Homer' (1993)
Matt Groening et al.: Homer writes a math equation on a blackboard that, when solved, yields a result remarkably close to the experimentally discovered mass of the Higgs boson.
S20E4 'Treehouse of Horror XIX' (2008)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows a voting machine switching a vote cast for one candidate to another candidate automatically.
S23E22 'Lisa Goes Gaga' (2012)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts Lady Gaga performing at a major event, descending from the ceiling on aerial wires.
S23E10 'Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson' (2012)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode references Greece facing severe economic crisis and debt problems.
S22E1 'Elementary School Musical' (2010)
Matt Groening et al.: A news ticker in the episode displays 'Nobel Prize: Milhouse Van Houten'. In the same year, a scientist with a similar-sounding name won the Nobel Prize.
S25E16 'You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee' (2014)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts widespread FIFA corruption, with officials accepting bribes.
S11E5 'E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)' (1999)
Matt Groening et al.: Homer accidentally grows a tomato-tobacco hybrid plant called 'Tomacco'.
S2E4 'Two Cars in Every Garage' (1990)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode features a three-eyed fish named 'Blinky' living near a nuclear power plant's drainage outlet.
S5E19 'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: The school cafeteria is caught using horse meat disguised as beef for school lunches.
S6E8 'Lisa on Ice' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows video phone booths where people can make video calls in public places.
S27E20 'Trumptastic Voyage' (2015)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts Donald Trump descending an escalator while crowds throw objects at him.
Prophecy Verification Evaluating predictions against reality for expired time points
S5E10 '$pringfield' (1993)
Matt Groening et al.: In the episode, Siegfried & Roy's white tiger attacks its trainer during a performance.
On October 3, 2003, Las Vegas performer Roy Horn was attacked and severely injured by white tiger Montecore during a show. The episode depicted a nearly identical scenario 10 years earlier.
S11E5 'E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)' (1999)
Matt Groening et al.: Homer accidentally grows a tomato-tobacco hybrid plant called 'Tomacco'.
In 2003, Oregon farmer Rob Baur, inspired by the episode, successfully grafted a tomato plant onto tobacco roots, creating a real 'Tomacco' plant. The plant contained nicotine, consistent with the show's depiction.
S6E8 'Lisa on Ice' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: A handheld device in the episode auto-'corrects' text to something wrong, eerily similar to modern smartphone autocorrect failures.
After the iPhone launched in 2007, autocorrect became a standard smartphone feature, and its frequent failures became a widely mocked phenomenon. The episode foresaw this 13 years earlier.
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: In the same episode, characters make face-to-face video calls through screens, similar to FaceTime or Skype.
Skype launched video calling in 2003, and Apple introduced FaceTime in 2010. While video calling concepts existed earlier, the episode accurately depicted it becoming an everyday communication method.
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode features a tablet computer used for note-taking and reading, operated like a book.
Apple released the iPad in 2010, launching the modern tablet era. While tablet concepts existed earlier, the episode's depiction of usage scenarios closely matches how iPads are actually used.
S6E8 'Lisa on Ice' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows video phone booths where people can make video calls in public places.
While video calling concepts predated this episode, smartphone video calling (FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc.) truly became mainstream in the 2010s, matching the episode's depiction.
S2E4 'Two Cars in Every Garage' (1990)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode features a three-eyed fish named 'Blinky' living near a nuclear power plant's drainage outlet.
In 2011, a three-eyed fish was discovered in a reservoir near a nuclear power plant in Córdoba, Argentina, causing a global media sensation. Mutated fish were also reported near Fukushima after the nuclear disaster.
S5E9 'The Last Temptation of Homer' (1993)
Matt Groening et al.: Homer writes a math equation on a blackboard that, when solved, yields a result remarkably close to the experimentally discovered mass of the Higgs boson.
In July 2012, CERN announced the discovery of the Higgs boson with a mass of approximately 125 GeV. One of the episode's writers, David X. Cohen, has a physics background. While the equation wasn't a direct prediction of the Higgs mass, the coincidence sparked widespread discussion.
S20E4 'Treehouse of Horror XIX' (2008)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows a voting machine switching a vote cast for one candidate to another candidate automatically.
During the 2012 US presidential election, electronic voting machine malfunctions were reported in Pennsylvania and other states, with Obama votes being switched to Romney. This closely mirrored the episode's plot.
S5E19 'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song' (1994)
Matt Groening et al.: The school cafeteria is caught using horse meat disguised as beef for school lunches.
In 2013, a major horse meat scandal erupted across Europe: beef products in multiple countries were found to contain horse meat, including frozen burgers and ready meals sold by major retailers like Tesco. The scandal affected the entire European food supply chain.
S6E19 'Lisa's Wedding' (1995)
Matt Groening et al.: In a scene set in 2010, Lisa's fiancé uses a wrist-mounted device to make calls, closely resembling a modern smartwatch.
Apple released the Apple Watch in 2015, with Samsung and others releasing smartwatches even earlier. The wrist-mounted communication device in the episode closely matches real-world smartwatch design and functionality.
S23E10 'Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson' (2012)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode references Greece facing severe economic crisis and debt problems.
In 2015, the Greek debt crisis reached its peak, with Greece becoming the first developed nation to default on the IMF and holding an emergency referendum.
S25E16 'You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee' (2014)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts widespread FIFA corruption, with officials accepting bribes.
In May 2015, the US Department of Justice indicted multiple senior FIFA officials on corruption charges involving tens of millions in bribes and kickbacks. The episode depicted FIFA corruption one year before the scandal broke.
S27E20 'Trumptastic Voyage' (2015)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts Donald Trump descending an escalator while crowds throw objects at him.
On June 16, 2015, Trump descended an escalator at Trump Tower to announce his presidential candidacy. The episode aired just weeks later, though production timelines suggest the creators were aware. Strictly speaking not a long-term prediction, but it recreated the iconic escalator scene.
S22E1 'Elementary School Musical' (2010)
Matt Groening et al.: A news ticker in the episode displays 'Nobel Prize: Milhouse Van Houten'. In the same year, a scientist with a similar-sounding name won the Nobel Prize.
The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Ben Feringa and others. While names don't exactly match, The Simpsons' multiple coincidences with Nobel Prizes have drawn attention. The show's math consultants include scholars connected to Nobel laureates.
S11E17 'Bart to the Future' (2000)
Matt Groening et al.: In a flash-forward plot, Lisa becomes US president and mentions inheriting 'quite a budget crunch from President Trump' — a massive budget deficit.
Donald Trump was elected the 45th US president in November 2016 and inaugurated in January 2017. The episode predicted this 16 years earlier, even mentioning budget deficit issues. This is The Simpsons' most famous 'prediction'.
S23E22 'Lisa Goes Gaga' (2012)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode depicts Lady Gaga performing at a major event, descending from the ceiling on aerial wires.
On February 5, 2017, Lady Gaga descended from the roof of NRG Stadium on cables during the Super Bowl LI halftime show, eerily similar to the episode's depiction.
S10E5 'When You Dish Upon a Star' (1998)
Matt Groening et al.: The episode shows a 20th Century Fox sign with the subtitle 'A Division of Walt Disney Co.'
On March 20, 2019, Walt Disney Company completed its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox entertainment assets. The episode predicted this historic merger 21 years earlier.