The Simpsons are renowned for predicting the future. Most recently, last December, Disney agreed to purchase a large share of 21st century Fox, which is something which The Simpsons had predicted almost 20 years ago.
Below are five spooky times The Simpsons correctly predicted what actually ended up happening:
Donald Trump becoming president of the United States
Predicted: 2000
Happened: 2016
During an episode when Bart has a vision into his adulthood, he sees his sister Lisa succeeding Donald Trump. “The country is broke?” she says in one scene.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, writer Dan Greaney explains this was meant to be a warning.
The NSA spying scandal
Predicted: 2007
Happened: 2013
The Simpsons are forced to go into hiding following their escape from the EPA biodome, which encloses Springfield in The Simpsons Movie. The NSA, however, manages to locate Marge by listening in to one of their conversations. Six years later, Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the government’s mass surveillance of Americans’ phone and internet records.
Smart watches
Predicted: 1995
Happened: 2014
When Lisa visits a fortune teller, she is transported to the year 2010, when smart watches exist. Smart watches, however, became reality in 2014, which was four years later than The Simpsons had predicted.
FaceTime
Predicted: 1995
Happened: 2010
Lisa talks to her mother Marge using her phone’s video chat capability.
FIFA corruption scandal
Predicted: 2014
Happened: 2015
In a 2014 episode of The Simpsons, an official from FIFA asks Homer to help repair the image of the organization. Just a year later, many officials from the organization were fired after they were found to have engaged in corrupt activities.
The same episode also correctly predicted that Germany would defeat Brazil during the World Cup.
