For over three decades, The Simpsons has captivated fans with its wit, social commentary, and, strangely enough, its uncanny ability to predict the future. From world events to wild inventions, here are 30 predictions from the show, split between the eerily accurate and the eerily possible.
1. The Donald Trump Presidency – Episode: “Bart to the Future”
One of the most shocking predictions in the history of The Simpsons was the assertion that Donald Trump would become President of the United States, a reference that was initially seen as a gag.
2. A Woman Is Elected U.S. President – Episode: “Bart to the Future” (Not Yet)
The same episode, “Bart to the Future”, predicted that the United States would elect its first female President, as Lisa occupies the Oval Office in the same episode. Of all The Simpsons episodes that take place in the future, this episode seemed the most prescient.
3. Underwater Submersible Emergency Situation – Episode: “Homer’s Paternity Coot”
In this episode of The Simpsons, Homer believes Mason Fairbanks is his real father, and the two go on a risky underwater mission in separate submersibles to find a sunken treasure, but Homer becomes trapped and unconscious due to low oxygen. In June 2023, fans drew eerie comparisons between the episode and the real-life OceanGate submersible tragedy, where five people died while attempting to visit the Titanic wreck.
4. Earth Becomes a Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland -Episode: “Treehouse of Horror XXVII” (Not Yet)
In “Treehouse of Horror XXVII,” The Simpsons parodies Mad Max and The Hunger Games by imagining a post-apocalyptic world caused by a nuclear disaster at the hands of Mr. Burns’ negligence. Though exaggerated, the episode highlights themes like environmental responsibility and youth leadership, with Lisa emerging as a beacon of hope amid the chaos.
5. Kamala Harris’ Purple Pantsuit – Episode: “Bart to the Future”
In the same episode that predicted the Trump presidency, Lisa is seen wearing a purple pantsuit and white pearls, an outfit strikingly similar to what Kamala Harris wore at the 2021 inauguration. Writer Mike Scully noted the look may have been inspired by Hillary Clinton or simply intended as a generic power outfit, with the purple color likely a random choice by animators.
6. Correctly Predicting Super Bowls – Episode: “Lisa the Greek”
In Season 3’s “Lisa the Greek,” Lisa correctly predicts the Washington Redskins would win Super Bowl XXVI just days before the game aired. The episode was redubbed in subsequent years to reflect current teams, with notable successes including correct calls for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in later Super Bowls.
7. Human Starting Colonies on Mars -Episode: “The Marge-ian Chronicles” (Not Yet)
In “The Marge-ian Chronicles,” The Simpsons parodied sci-fi tropes by imagining Springfield residents joining a human colonization mission to Mars, grounding the story within the show’s flexible continuity. While real-life Mars colonization hasn’t happened yet, the show has accurately predicted other technological advancements like smartwatches, autocorrect, cyber trucks, baby translators, and NSA surveillance.
8. Disney Buys 20th Century Fox – Episode: “When You Dish Upon a Star”
In Season 10’s “When You Dish Upon a Star,” The Simpsons features a joke shot of 20th Century Fox labeled as “A Division of Walt Disney Co.” years before the actual 2018 merger. What began as satire unexpectedly became reality, uniting Homer Simpson and Mickey Mouse under the same corporate roof.
9. Smartwatches – Episode: “Lisa’s Wedding”
In “Lisa’s Wedding,” a 1995 episode set in the future, Lisa’s boyfriend uses his watch to make a voice call—years before smartwatches existed. By 2013, voice-activated smartwatches became a reality, making the episode another example of The Simpsons predicting future tech.
10. Autocorrect – Episode: “Lisa on Ice”
In “Lisa on Ice,” a joke shows Apple’s Newton misinterpreting “Beat up Martin” as “Eat up, Martha,” mocking its flawed handwriting recognition. The gag became legendary at Apple, reportedly influencing the company’s focus on perfecting the iPhone’s keyboard and autocorrect features years later.
11. The Beatles Sending Belated Fan Mail – Episode: “Brush With Greatness”
In Season 2’s “Brush With Greatness,” Ringo Starr replies to Marge’s decades-old fan letter, keeping his promise to answer all his mail. Life imitated art in 2013 when Paul McCartney responded to a fan mixtape sent 50 years earlier, echoing the show’s premise.
12. FIFA’s Corruption Scandal and World Cup Results – Episode: “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee”
In “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee,” The Simpsons mocked FIFA corruption and had Homer fairly officiate a World Cup where Germany wins, both of which came true shortly after. In 2014, Germany won the World Cup, and by 2015, FIFA was embroiled in a real-life scandal involving bribery, fraud, and a police raid.
13. Cryonics Freezing Is Developed – Episode: “Holidays of Future Passed” (Not Yet)
Although “The Simpsons” peaked early, it delivered a standout 21st-century episode with the emotional and futuristic Christmas special “Holidays of Future Passed.” Set decades ahead, it not only reunites the grown-up Simpson kids for the holidays but also hints at a world where cryogenic freezing is used to extend human life.
14. A Zombie Apocalypse – Episode: “Treehouse of Horror XX” (Not Yet)
Many of The Simpsons’ wildest storylines, once thought impossible, have surprisingly come true, like the Titanic rediscovery disaster and the 2021 Capitol Hill riots. However, the zombie apocalypse from the classic “Treehouse of Horror XX” episode remains fictional, humorously parodying zombie films while perhaps foreshadowing the huge success of The Walking Dead just a year later.
15. Stealing Cooking Grease for Cash – Episode: “Lard of the Dance”
One of Homer’s get-rich-quick schemes involved siphoning grease from businesses and selling it for profit. Remarkably, this idea became a real-life reality when thieves in New York City began stealing restaurant grease to sell to biodiesel producers.
16. Siegfried and Roy Tiger Attack – Episode: “$pringfield”
Mr. Burns builds a casino in Springfield, featuring a duo named Gunter and Ernst, a clear nod to Siegfried and Roy, whose act ends tragically when their white tiger, Anastasia, attacks them. In a chilling real-life parallel, Roy Horn was seriously injured by a tiger attack a decade after the episode aired.
17. The U.S. Wins Gold in Curling – Episode: “Boy Meets Curl”
During a trip abroad, Homer and Marge join the U.S. curling team at the 2010 Winter Olympics and surprisingly defeat Sweden to win gold. Eight years later, the same outcome played out in real life when the U.S. beat Sweden to win curling gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
18. Video Chats – Episode: “Lisa’s Wedding”
In “Lisa’s Wedding,” the show casually depicts video chatting as a common form of communication, with characters talking through screens instead of phones. This foresight perfectly predicted the rise of platforms like Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime that became essential during the 2010s and especially the 2020s pandemic.
19. Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Performance – Episode: “Lisa Goes Gaga”
Though considered one of the show’s weaker episodes, “Lisa Goes Gaga” featured the pop star visiting Springfield and boosting Lisa’s confidence. When Lady Gaga performed at the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, many fans spotted the striking resemblance between her wire-supported, spark-filled stunt and one of her outfits from the episode.
20. An “Average Joe” Goes Into Space – Episode: “Deep Space Homer”
In the iconic episode, NASA sends an average person into space to boost shuttle launch ratings. Years later, the UK held a contest that sent ordinary people, including winner Oliver Knight, into space, marking the rise of civilian astronauts, with many more “regular” folks and celebrities following suit.
21. Covering up Michelangelo’s “David” – Episode: “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge”
In this episode, Marge pushes for censorship to tone down the violent Itchy and Scratchy cartoons, only to see the town protest the statue’s exposed form during its Springfield tour. Similarly, in 2016, Russians debated whether to cover a replica of the statue, highlighting ongoing controversies over public modesty and censorship.
22. The Higgs-Boson Particle – Episode: “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace”
Inspired by Thomas Edison, Homer pursues inventing and is shown scribbling a complex math equation on a chalkboard. Over a decade later, scientists discovered the Higgs-Boson particle, dubbed the “God particle”, and were surprised to find its mass closely matched Homer’s calculation.
23. Faulty Voting Machines – Episode: “Treehouse of Horror XIX”
In the cold open of “Treehouse of Horror XIX,” Homer tries to vote for Barack Obama, but the electronic machine registers his choice as John McCain. Four years later, a viral video revealed a similar glitch in a Pennsylvania voting booth during the 2012 election, showing the episode’s eerie accuracy.
24. Mutant Tomatoes – Episode: “E-I-E-I-D’oh!”
Homer’s farming experiment produces “tomacco,” a tomato-tobacco hybrid created using nuclear materials from his job. In 2013, fiction echoed reality when fruits and vegetables near Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant showed unusual mutations following the nuclear disaster.
25. Ebola Outbreak – Episode: “Lisa’s Sax”
Set in 1990, the episode shows Marge reading Curious George and the Ebola Virus to cheer up Bart, referencing the then-little-known disease. Years later, Ebola caused its largest outbreak in 2014–2015, impacting thousands far beyond any children’s story.
26. Bengt R. Holmstrom Wins Nobel Prize in Economics – Episode: “Elementary School Musical”
In the season 22 premiere, Lisa and her friends create a predictions sheet for the Nobel Prize winners, including Bengt R. Holmström for economics. Though initially overlooked, Holmström ultimately won the Nobel Prize in 2016, proving the show’s uncanny eye for detail.
27. The Albuquerque Isotopes – Episode: “Hungry, Hungry Homer”
While not exactly a prediction, this episode inspired a real-life event when the Calgary Cannons minor league baseball team moved to Albuquerque. Fans voted overwhelmingly to name the new team the Albuquerque Isotopes, just like Homer’s beloved Springfield team in the show.
28. The Shard – Episode: “Lisa’s Wedding”
In this episode, a shot of Big Ben includes a digital clock face and a mysterious pointed spire off to the side that doesn’t match the real London skyline. Remarkably, the Shard, a skyscraper with a similar shape and location, was completed in 2012, making the show’s detail eerily accurate.
29. Three-Eyed Fish – Episode: “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish”
Blinky, the iconic three-eyed fish from the episode, became a symbol in discussions about nuclear pollution and mutations. In 2011, reality mirrored fiction when fishermen near a nuclear plant in Argentina caught a three-eyed wolf fish, echoing the show’s environmental warning.
30. Selling Ferrets as Toy Poodles – Episode: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Badge”
Fat Tony’s scheme to disguise ferrets as toy poodles by gluing cotton balls eerily came to life when an Argentine man bought what he believed was a toy poodle, only to discover it was actually a groomed ferret. This bizarre scam shows how, sometimes, reality really is stranger than fiction.
