25 Times The Simpsons Weirdly Saw the Future Coming

From their debut in 1989, The Simpsons have been more than just a source of laughs—they've become eerily prophetic. With uncanny accuracy, the show has "predicted" everything from sporting outcomes to technological advancements and cultural events, often years, even decades, before they happened. How did a show rooted in comedy become a virtual fortune-teller? Here are 25 times The Simpsons proved they might just have a crystal ball hidden in Springfield.

1. Super Bowl Predictions (1992)

In Season 3, Episode 14, Lisa confidently predicts the Washington Redskins will win Super Bowl XXVI. This wasn’t just a lucky guess—the prediction came true, setting the stage for The Simpsons’ seemingly endless correct Super Bowl calls.

2. Super Bowl Again (1993)

Following their first correct prediction, The Simpsons doubled down. Season 4 saw another Super Bowl “forecast,” this time with the Dallas Cowboys victorious. Fans were both impressed and unnerved when, again, The Simpsons nailed it.

3. And Again! (1995)

The show made it a trifecta by correctly predicting the San Francisco 49ers would take Super Bowl XXIX. Three out of three might just be coincidence—or maybe the Simpsons writers had an inside source at the NFL?

4. President Trump (2000)

In Season 11, Episode 17, "Bart to the Future," the future sees America under President Trump. This was 16 years before Donald Trump actually assumed office, and the prediction became a defining example of The Simpsons’ eerie prescience.

5. Censorship of Art (1990)

In Season 2, Episode 9, Marge protests against the violent Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, which leads to an odd censorship campaign targeting classic art like Michelangelo's David. Flash forward to 2016, when Russians proposed covering the statue’s "indecency"—a real-life echo of Springfield's moral outcry.

6. Ferret Poodles (2007)

In a bizarre episode, residents of Springfield are scammed with ferrets sold as “poodles.” Years later, an Argentinian man unknowingly bought a ferret disguised as a toy poodle. A cautionary tale from Springfield that became a reality.

7. The Doughnut-Shaped Universe (1999)

Homer speculates on a doughnut-shaped universe in Season 10, Episode 22, "They Saved Lisa’s Brain." While wild, this idea mirrored scientific theories in the 1980s and has since resurfaced as a possible shape of the cosmos.

8. Submersible Crisis (2006)

In Season 17, Episode 10, Homer’s submersible runs out of oxygen underwater, a close parallel to the tragic OceanGate submersible disaster years later.

9. Video Calling (1995)

Before FaceTime or Zoom, The Simpsons were using video calls in a futuristic episode from Season 6, Episode 19. It’s almost as if they had a front-row seat to tech advancements long before we did.

10. FIFA Corruption (2014)

In Season 25, Episode 16, Homer becomes a referee amidst a FIFA corruption scandal. Just a few months later, real-life FIFA found itself entangled in bribery and corruption revelations.

11. Germany Wins FIFA World Cup (2014)

The same episode predicted Germany’s win at the World Cup. Sure enough, Germany claimed victory that same year, thanks to an accurate Simpsons whistle-blow.

12. The Tiger Attack (1993)

In Season 5, Episode 10, The Simpsons depicted a tiger attack eerily similar to what happened to Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy in 2003, proving the writers could conjure up both laughs and tragedy.

13. The Higgs Boson Prediction (1998)

A chalkboard equation by Homer in Season 10, Episode 2, nearly mirrors the math of the Higgs boson particle, discovered in 2012. It’s a prediction that floored scientists and fans alike.

14. Voting Machine Malfunction (2008)

In Season 20, Episode 4, Homer’s vote for Obama is “hijacked” by a rigged voting machine. In a real 2012 voting booth mishap, a similar machine glitch in Pennsylvania saw Obama votes switched to his opponent.

15. The All-You-Can-Eat Court Battle (1992)

In a hilarious scene, Homer sues an "all-you-can-eat" restaurant for cutting him off, and a similar case went to court in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2017.

16. The Horse Meat Scandal (1994)

Season 5 predicted horse meat would slip into lunch menus. Then, nearly two decades later, traces of horse meat were indeed found in beef products across Europe in 2013.

17. Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Stunt (2012)

In Season 23, Lady Gaga performs suspended over a crowd in Springfield. Years later, she recreated this entrance at the actual Super Bowl, dazzling viewers and fulfilling yet another Springfield prophecy.

18. Sending Civilians to Space (1994)

In Season 5, Homer, an “average Joe,” wins a ticket to space. Fast forward to the 21st century, and various space agencies have opened the door for everyday citizens to explore the cosmos.

19. Smartwatches (1995)

Lisa’s boyfriend uses a wristwatch to communicate in Season 6. Decades before Apple Watches and Samsung Gear, The Simpsons anticipated this piece of tech.

20. The Ebola Outbreak (1997)

In a Season 9 episode, Marge reads “Curious George and the Ebola Virus” to Bart. Years later, the virus indeed became a global concern.

21. Grease Theft for Profit (1998)

In Season 10, Homer tries his hand at stealing and selling restaurant grease for cash. Unbelievably, a similar underground economy surfaced in real life, where grease theft became a bizarre form of hustle.

22. Translating Baby Talk (1992)

In Season 3, Homer’s estranged brother invents a device to translate baby babble. Today, various attempts have been made at creating apps to decode baby cries.

23. The NSA Surveillance Revelation (2007)

In The Simpsons Movie, Marge is held at NSA headquarters, showcasing advanced surveillance tech. In 2013, Edward Snowden’s leaks confirmed NSA surveillance on a massive scale, turning this “gag” into reality.

24. Predicting Nobel Prize Winners (2010)

Milhouse bets on Bengt Holmström winning the Nobel Prize, and in 2016, Holmström actually took home the award for economics, proving Milhouse’s intellect to be way ahead of the curve.

25. Olympic Gold in Curling (2010)

In Season 21, The Simpsons depicted the U.S. curling team winning gold. Eight years later, in the 2018 Olympics, this fictional victory came true, etching one last “prediction” into the show’s eerie track record.

Whether it’s pure coincidence, inspired guesses, or perhaps some kind of unknown power hidden in Springfield, The Simpsons have offered us an astonishing list of predictions. Their foresight has left fans astounded and sometimes even a little unnerved. As we look forward to more episodes, one can’t help but wonder—what will they predict next?