• The landmark tower turned its lights yellow to mark the show's 30th anniversary
• The show first aired on December 17 1989 and has released 649 episodes to date
• It is the longest-running animated TV series of all time and won over 70 awards

The Empire State Building switched its lights yellow on Sunday evening to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Simpsons, the longest-running animated series of all time.

Although viewers may still be still figuring out where The Simpsons' hometown of Springfield is, it was their New York neighbors who delivered the show's fanfare yesterday evening.

To mark 30 years since the first airing of The Simpsons on December 17 1989, the top of the Empire State Building turned bright yellow, the color of The Simpsons characters.

This is not the first time that The Empire State Building has taken on a yellow tinge to celebrate the Springfield family. 

In 2007, the landmark tower turned yellow to mark the release of The Simpsons film where Homer and his pet pig create a disaster that threatens to destroy the entire planet. 

This year, The Simpsons broke another record when it released its 636th episode and overtook Gunsmoke, a US western show, to become the longest running prime time scripted series in history.  

The show is one of the most successful in television history, having won 33 Emmy awards, 30 Annie Awards and 11 Writers Guild of America Awards to name a few.

However, the animated series has attracted controversy in recent years over its portrayal of certain characters in the show. Most notably, the character of Apu, an Indian immigrant shop owner voiced by Hank Azaria, faced public backlash for perceived cultural appropriation.

While the show still has a loyal fanbase, viewing figures have declined to their lowest point in the show's history. Only 4 million people tuned it to watch the 27th season and with the arrival of Netflix and on-demand content, the downward trend may continue further.