For the past three decades, there has been one constant in America’s comedy landscape: “The Simpsons.” With that animated sitcom now approaching the start of its 30th season, on Sept. 30, it’s a good time to reflect on how “The Simpsons” has evolved during its unparalleled run, and how each era in that evolution has reflected — or failed to reflect — the state of comedy, and of the culture, as a whole.

Neither “The Simpsons” nor history has stood still since the show debuted in 1989. The first family of Springfield has witnessed five American presidents, the dawn of the internet age, the end of the Cold War, at least two prolonged conflicts in the Middle East, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and more. And while Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie have stayed the same age, what the world finds funny has changed — in no small part because of those characters’ influence. Almost thirty years after its premiere, “The Simpsons” still matters.

Below, we’ve broken down the history of “The Simpsons” into six distinct eras, based on the ways its humor has changed over the years. We’ve also recommended the episodes that best represent each era. (FXX has a website with every episode of “The Simpsons” but not the original shorts; a subscription to cable or FXNOW is required. Hulu also streams recent episodes.)