For over three decades, The Simpsons has entertained us with its satirical take on society, politics, and technology.
But beyond the laughs, the show has also eerily predicted real-life events—sometimes years before they happened.
Whether it’s world-changing moments or bizarre coincidences, here are 14 mind-blowing times The Simpsons saw the future coming!
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1. Donald Trump’s Presidency (Season 11, Episode 17 – 2000)
Back in 2000, The Simpsons showed a dystopian future where Donald Trump had become president.
The episode, Bart to the Future, depicted Lisa taking over the presidency and mentioning that Trump left the country in financial ruin.
Sixteen years later, Trump actually won the 2016 election, making this one of the show’s most famous predictions.
2. The Disney-Fox Merger (Season 10, Episode 5 – 1998)
In the episode When You Dish Upon a Star, a quick gag features a sign outside 20th Century Fox that reads, “A Division of Walt Disney Co.”
At the time, it seemed like a far-fetched joke, but in 2019, Disney officially acquired 21st Century Fox in a historic $71 billion deal – proving The Simpsons had called it two decades early!
3. Smartwatches (Season 6, Episode 19 – 1995)
In Lisa’s Wedding, a futuristic storyline includes a scene where Lisa’s fiancé speaks into a wristwatch—essentially using it as a smartphone.
At the time, this was pure sci-fi, but today, Apple Watches and other smartwatches with voice-activated assistants like Siri and Alexa have made the concept a reality.
4. The Shard in London (Season 6, Episode 19 – 1995)
In the same Lisa’s Wedding episode, the London skyline features a glass skyscraper eerily similar to The Shard.
The animated version stands in the exact same location where The Shard would later be built, and its sleek, pointed design is nearly identical to the real thing.
The Shard was completed in 2012—17 years after the episode aired!
5. The Higgs-Boson Particle (Season 10, Episode 2 – 1998)
In The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace, Homer, inspired by Thomas Edison, scribbles a complex mathematical equation on a chalkboard.
Years later, scientists discovered the Higgs-Boson particle, a key breakthrough in physics.
Experts have since noted that Homer’s equation is shockingly close to the actual mass of the particle – something that wouldn’t be confirmed until 2012.
6. The Siegfried & Roy Tiger Attack (Season 5, Episode 10 – 1993)
In $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling), a parody of the Siegfried & Roy magic act features the duo being attacked by their own white tiger.
In 2003, this became a tragic reality when Roy Horn was mauled by one of their tigers during a live show in Las Vegas, suffering severe injuries that ended his career.
7. The NSA Spying Scandal (The Simpsons Movie – 2007)
In The Simpsons Movie, the government is shown spying on civilians through an extensive surveillance operation.
While this was played for laughs at the time, in 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) was indeed monitoring phone records and online communications on a massive scale, proving The Simpsons wasn’t far off.
8. Faulty Voter Machines (Season 20, Episode 4 – 2008)
In Treehouse of Horror XIX, Homer tries to vote for Barack Obama on an electronic machine, but it keeps switching his vote to John McCain.
Four years later, in the 2012 election, similar real-life reports surfaced from voters in Pennsylvania who claimed machines were flipping their votes.
9. The Censorship of Michelangelo’s David (Season 2, Episode 9 – 1990)
In Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, Springfield’s citizens demand that Michelangelo’s David be covered up due to its nudity.
In 2016, a similar debate unfolded in real life when Russians protested a replica of the famous statue, arguing that it should be dressed or censored.
10. Nobel Prize Winner Prediction (Season 22, Episode 1 – 2010)
In MoneyBART, a group of Springfield characters makes a betting pool for the Nobel Prize. Among the listed names is Bengt Holmström, who, at the time, had not yet won.
In 2016, Holmström was officially awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, making this a six-year-in-advance prediction.
11. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Killer Bees (Season 4, Episode 21 – 1993)
In Marge in Chains, Springfield is hit by an outbreak of the fictional “Osaka Flu.”
During the chaos, townspeople accidentally knock over a crate of “killer bees.”
Decades later, the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, reports of aggressive “murder hornets” (a real species of giant hornets) in the U.S. began making headlines.
12. Auto-Correct Fails (Season 6, Episode 8 – 1994)
In Lisa on Ice, a school-issued personal assistant device tries to correct a note saying “Beat up Martin” to “Eat up Martha.”
This early joke foreshadowed the frustrating reality of autocorrect fails in modern smartphones.
Apple engineers later admitted that this Simpsons gag directly influenced them to improve their autocorrect technology.
13. Richard Branson’s Space Flight (Season 25, Episode 15 – 2014)
In The War of Art, a scene shows billionaire Richard Branson floating in a spaceship.
In 2021, Branson took a real-life flight into space aboard his Virgin Galactic rocket, becoming one of the first private citizens to experience space travel.
14. Sean Combs’ White Party Controversy (Season 28, Episode 12 – 2017)
In The Great Phatsby, a two-part episode parodying The Great Gatsby, an ultra-wealthy mogul named Jay G. throws extravagant, all-white parties filled with celebrities, luxury, and excess. Sound familiar?
Fans have pointed out eerie similarities to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ famous White Parties, exclusive events that have attracted A-list guests for decades.
Even creepier? In 2024, controversy struck as lawsuits and scandals surrounding Diddy’s lavish lifestyle surfaced, making this Simpsons prediction feel less like satire and more like a warning.
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