10 Predictions From 'The Simpsons' That Came True

Are The Writers Time Travelers?

Are the writers time-travelers, or do they share a connection with Nostradamus? The Simpsons consistently intrigues audiences with its uncanny predictions that later prove eerily accurate.

Legal Weed in Canada [Season 16, Episode 6 (2005)]

The 2005 episode Midnight Rx sees Ned tagging along with Homer and Grampas smuggling trips to Canada to get medicine for his own kids. Ned meets his Canadian counterpart and quickly learns theyre very different when hes offered a reeferino, since its legal in that country.

Canada legalises marijuana in 2018

Thirteen years later, in 2018, recreational marijuana became legal in Canada.

A Submersible Disaster [Season 17, Episode 10 (2006)]

A more recent prediction from The Simpsons became clear earlier this year, when fans made the connection between the Titanic submersible disaster and the episode Homers Paternity Coot.

The Oceans Gate Tragedy

A real-life submersible carrying five passengers toward the sunken Titanic unfortunately imploded. The expedition to see the wreck dominated conversations around the world.

FaceTime [Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)]

In 1995, in the heartwarming Simpsons episode Lisas Wedding, she called her mom. The phone that Lisa dialed included a screen that showed Marges face in real-time attached to a rotary dial.

Facetime and video call

While Skype was invented in 2003, it served primarily as the calling service used on computers. In 2010, Apple announced that it developed FaceTime for Apple users.

Trump's Presidency [Season 11, Episode 17 (2000)]

The episode Bart to the Future premiered in 2000, where Bart Simpson saw his and his sisters future. The leader of the country was Lisa Simpson, Lisa mentioned that the United States was tasked with fixing the economy after former Donald Trumps presidency.

Replica From Reel to Real

Not only was Trump elected President in 2016, but one scene showed a crowd of people watched as Donald Trump descended an escalator – its a scene thats now among The Simpsons predictions that came true.

Walt Disney and Fox Merger [Season 10, Episode 5 (1998)]

In 1998, in the episode When You Wish Upon a Star, Homer suggested an idea for a movie during his phone call to 20th Century Fox executives. The next scene of the episode showed that 20th Century Fox was now owned by Walt Disney.

The Walt Disney, Fox Merger

In March 2019, Walt Disney announced a $71 billion merger with 21st Century Fox. In 2021, Disney and Fox settled on the streaming rights in terms of the films that Disney would own.

Lady Gaga and The Superbowl [Season 23, Episode 22 (2012)]

In the 2012 episode Lisa Goes Gaga, Lady Gaga visits Springfield and performs her songs while flying over an audience, and at one point, played the piano during her concert.

Lady Gaga's Superbowl Show

In 2017, Gaga performed at the Superbowl LI halftime show. She was lifted above the audience, mirroring the Simpsons episode. Later in the show, she also played Million Reasons, on the piano.

Censoring Michelangelo's David [Season 2, Episode 9 (1990)]

Marge learns a hard lesson about censorship when a slippery slope leads Springfield residents calling for the censorship of Michelangelos David. The classic work of art is hilariously covered up with a pair of jeans in an effort to make it more acceptable for the outraged community that wont tolerate nudity.

David Was Censored

Back in 2016, a copy of the statue on display in St. Petersburg sparked controversy, and prompted a vote from citizens who wanted it to be covered up or removed.

Smartwatches [Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)]

In the classic season 6 episode of The Simpsons, Lisas Wedding, there was a brief moment where Hugh talks to his watch, predicting the rise of smartwatches almost two decades before the first one would be introduced to the world.

Smartwatches Have Become Common Now

Its a fleeting moment that didnt mean much back then, but highlighted key tech like digital watches and voice recognition that would become commonplace today.

Malfunctioning Voter Machines [Season 20, Episode 4 (2008)]

Treehouse of Horror XIX seems to have predicted an electoral mishap related to former President Barack Obama. A brief moment depicts Homer voting for Obama in a booth, but his soon revealed to have been tallied as one for John McCain.

Voting Swaps In US Elections

A similar event would occur in 2012, with a viral YouTube video showing an incorrectly registered vote. Instead of the vote in a booth in Pennsylvania being counter for Obama, it appears to have been tallied for Mitt Romney.

The God Particle [Season 10, Episode 2 (1998)]

One of the most shocking Simpsons predictions yet, The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace a small part of the episode shows Homers seemingly nonsensical writing on a chalkboard reveals itself to be a complex math equation.

The Higgs Boson

Homers final figure on the chalkboard isnt too far from the 2012 CERN Higgs boson discovery. Its kind of amazing as Homer makes this prediction 14 years before it was discovered.