Fun Fact 2025-04-12 14:30:40

23 Times When The Simpsons ‘predicted’ The Future

Since its debut, The Simpsons has become one of the most iconic and longest-running animated series in television history. Known for its sharp wit, cultural commentary, and unforgettable characters, the show has also gained a reputation for something even more uncanny—its ability to predict the future.

Whether it's politics, technology, global events, or sports, The Simpsons seems to have a crystal ball. From Donald Trump’s presidency to smartwatches and even pandemics, here are 25 eerily accurate predictions made by The Simpsons that left fans stunned.

1. Super Bowl Winners – Three Times in a Row

1992: Lisa predicted the Washington Redskins would win Super Bowl XXVI. They did.
1993: The Dallas Cowboys were the next predicted winners—and they won.
Later: The show even guessed the San Francisco 49ers would win Super Bowl XXIX. Unbelievable accuracy!

2. Donald Trump Becomes President

In Season 11, Episode 17, “Bart to the Future,” Lisa references inheriting a budget crisis from President Trump. Years later, Trump actually served as the 45th president (2017–2021). He also announced plans to run again in 2024, making this prediction even more spot-on.

3. Art Censorship

In Season 2, Marge protests violence in cartoons, only for the public to turn and demand censorship of classical art like Michelangelo’s David. In 2016, Russian officials proposed dressing statues for “modesty”—just as the show suggested decades earlier.

4. Ferrets Sold as Poodles

The Simpsons once joked about scams involving ferrets being passed off as poodles. This exact thing happened in Argentina when a man unknowingly bought two ferrets believing they were toy poodles.

5. Doughnut-Shaped Universe

In a conversation with Stephen Hawking, Homer speculates the universe is shaped like a doughnut. This aligns with a real theory from the 1980s in cosmology.

6. Submarine Disaster

In Season 17, Homer boards a submersible that gets trapped underwater with low oxygen—a scenario eerily similar to the 2023 OceanGate Titan sub tragedy.

7. Video Calls

Long before FaceTime, The Simpsons showed characters using video calling to communicate—decades before it became mainstream.

8. FIFA Corruption

In Season 25, Episode 16, Homer becomes a referee after others back out due to FIFA corruption scandals—which broke wide open in 2015.

9. Germany Wins the World Cup

In the same episode, Homer referees a match that Germany wins. Just months later, Germany won the 2014 FIFA World Cup in real life.

10. Tiger Attack on Stage

In Season 5, Episode 10, The Simpsons depict a tiger attacking a stage performer. Ten years later, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy was mauled by a tiger during a live show.

11. Homer Predicts Higgs Boson

In 1998, Homer writes an equation on a chalkboard in “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace.” The equation was nearly identical to the real formula for the Higgs boson, which scientists discovered in 2012.

12. Faulty Voting Machines

In a 2008 Halloween episode, Homer tries to vote for Obama, but the machine switches it to McCain. In 2012, a real voting machine in Pennsylvania was caught doing exactly that.

13. All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Lawsuit

After Homer gets kicked out of an all-you-can-eat restaurant, he sues for false advertising. In 2017, a man in Massachusetts sued a buffet for not allowing him to eat unlimited crab legs—ironically, in Springfield.

14. Horse Meat Scandal

In Season 5, cafeteria workers use horse meat in school lunches. In 2013, authorities discovered that beef products in Europe were contaminated with horse meat.

15. Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Entrance

In 2012, Lady Gaga was depicted flying above the crowd in a glittery outfit during a Simpsons episode. In 2017, she performed at the Super Bowl in a strikingly similar way.

16. Civilian Sent to Space

Season 5 featured “Deep Space Homer,” where Homer is sent to space as an average Joe. Years later, real-life contests gave ordinary citizens the chance to travel to space.

17. Smartwatches

Lisa’s boyfriend in Season 6 uses his watch to communicate—long before Apple Watches were even imagined.

18. Restaurant Grease Theft

In Season 10, Homer collects used cooking grease to sell. Years later, news outlets reported criminals doing exactly that, turning it into a black-market industry.

19. Ebola Outbreak

In Season 9, The Simpsons subtly reference the Ebola virus, years before the 2014 outbreak gained global attention.

20. Baby Language Translator

Herb, Homer’s half-brother, invents a machine to translate baby talk in Season 3. In recent years, similar baby-translation tech has been developed and tested.

21. NSA Surveillance

In The Simpsons Movie, Marge uncovers government surveillance from the NSA. In 2013, Edward Snowden exposed the NSA’s mass surveillance programs.

22. Nobel Prize Winner

Milhouse guessed Bengt Holmström would win a Nobel Prize in Season 22. Holmström did exactly that in 2016.

23. Winter Olympics Curling Gold

In Season 21, Homer and Marge win gold for the U.S. in curling. In 2018, the real U.S. curling team won gold, beating Sweden.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s pure coincidence or a team of genius writers with an eye for the future, The Simpsons has an unmatched record for predicting reality. As the show continues, one thing is certain—fans will keep watching for the next prediction that might just come true.