diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/Event.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/Event.java
index bd3b06b16e6..e8976cce961 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/Event.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/Event.java
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ public abstract class Event<T extends Event> {
   private long mTimestampMs;
   private int mUniqueID = sUniqueID++;
 
+  // Android native Event times use 'uptimeMillis', and historically we've used `uptimeMillis`
+  // throughout this Event class as the coalescing key for events, and for other purposes.
+  // To get an accurate(ish) absolute UNIX time for the event, we store the initial clock time here.
+  // uptimeMillis can then be added to this to get an accurate UNIX time.
+  // However, we still default to uptimeMillis: you must explicitly request UNIX time if you want
+  // that; see `getUnixTimestampMs`.
+  public static final long sInitialClockTimeUnixOffset =
+      SystemClock.currentTimeMillis() - SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
+
   protected Event() {}
 
   @Deprecated
@@ -58,8 +67,10 @@ public abstract class Event<T extends Event> {
   protected void init(int surfaceId, int viewTag) {
     mSurfaceId = surfaceId;
     mViewTag = viewTag;
-    mTimestampMs = SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
     mInitialized = true;
+
+    // This is a *relative* time. See `getUnixTimestampMs`.
+    mTimestampMs = SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
   }
 
   /** @return the view id for the view that generated this event */
@@ -80,6 +91,11 @@ public abstract class Event<T extends Event> {
     return mTimestampMs;
   }
 
+  /** @return the time at which the event happened as a UNIX timestamp, in milliseconds. */
+  public final long getUnixTimestampMs() {
+    return sInitialClockTimeUnixOffset + mTimestampMs;
+  }
+
   /** @return false if this Event can *never* be coalesced */
   public boolean canCoalesce() {
     return true;
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/TouchesHelper.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/TouchesHelper.java
index 187e6121160..b67f6e3eff0 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/TouchesHelper.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/events/TouchesHelper.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class TouchesHelper {
       touch.putDouble(LOCATION_Y_KEY, PixelUtil.toDIPFromPixel(locationY));
       touch.putInt(TARGET_SURFACE_KEY, surfaceId);
       touch.putInt(TARGET_KEY, reactTarget);
-      touch.putDouble(TIMESTAMP_KEY, event.getTimestampMs());
+      touch.putDouble(TIMESTAMP_KEY, event.getUnixTimestampMs());
       touch.putDouble(POINTER_IDENTIFIER_KEY, motionEvent.getPointerId(index));
       touches.pushMap(touch);
     }