The Timeline of the Simpsons

15 Feb 1954 Matt Groening born, Beaverton OR.

1977 Life in Hell (Comic).

The Simpsons first appearing as thirty-second bumpers on Fox's The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987.

14 Jan 1990 Debut of The Simpsons on Fox (Broadcasting 3 nights a week).

19 Sep 1991 Simpsons episode 7F24 "Stark Raving Dad": Michael Jackson guest stars as an obese, caucasian mental patient who thinks he is Michael Jackson. Credited as John Jay Smith.

20 Feb 1992 Darryl Strawberry guest stars in Simpsons episode 8F13 of The Simpsons, Homer at the Bat, where he and several other major-leaguers are hired by Mr. Burns to help defeat Shelbyville.

19 Feb 1995 Simpsons episode 2F13 airs, Bart vs. Australia.

3 Nov 1996 Simpsons episode 3F23 "You Only Move Twice": Supervillain Hank Scorpio asks: "Homer, what's your least favorite country: Italy or France?" When Homer says France, Hank replies: "Nobody ever says Italy."

16 May 1999 Simpsons episode AABF20 "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo": Money management guru Chuck Garabedian explains that he got his suit cheap "because Roy Cohn died in it."

28 May 1998 Phil Hartman killed by his wife in a murder/suicide.

19 Dec 1999 Simpsons episode BABF07 "Grift of the Magi": Gary Coleman guest stars as a security guard working at the secret headquarters of Kid First Industries.

2 Nov 2003 Simpsons episode EABF21 "Treehouse of Horror XIV": Jerry Lewis plays the voice of Professor John Frink Sr., a reanimated corpse who has won the Nobel Prize.