diff --git a/types/react-native/index.d.ts b/types/react-native/index.d.ts
index 2c8575b211..aaa12ce96e 100644
--- a/types/react-native/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/react-native/index.d.ts
@@ -359,23 +359,7 @@ type TaskProvider = () => Task;
 type NodeHandle = number;
 
 // Similar to React.SyntheticEvent except for nativeEvent
-export interface NativeSyntheticEvent<T> {
-    bubbles: boolean;
-    cancelable: boolean;
-    currentTarget: NodeHandle;
-    defaultPrevented: boolean;
-    eventPhase: number;
-    isTrusted: boolean;
-    nativeEvent: T;
-    isPropagationStopped(): boolean;
-    isDefaultPrevented(): boolean;
-    persist(): void;
-    preventDefault(): void;
-    stopPropagation(): void;
-    target: NodeHandle;
-    timeStamp: number;
-    type: string;
-}
+export interface NativeSyntheticEvent<T> extends React.BaseSyntheticEvent<T, NodeHandle, NodeHandle> {}
 
 export interface NativeTouchEvent {
     /**
diff --git a/types/react-native/test/index.tsx b/types/react-native/test/index.tsx
index f3dfb45b51..6e6630fe14 100644
--- a/types/react-native/test/index.tsx
+++ b/types/react-native/test/index.tsx
@@ -203,6 +203,12 @@ const testNativeSyntheticEvent = <T extends {}>(e: NativeSyntheticEvent<T>): voi
     e.nativeEvent;
 }
 
+function eventHandler<T extends React.BaseSyntheticEvent>(e: T) {}
+
+function handler(e: GestureResponderEvent) {
+    eventHandler(e);
+}
+
 type ElementProps<C> = C extends React.Component<infer P, any> ? P : never;
 
 class CustomView extends React.Component {
diff --git a/types/react/index.d.ts b/types/react/index.d.ts
index 730268f974..11d879b2ff 100644
--- a/types/react/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/react/index.d.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 //                 Martin Hochel <https://github.com/hotell>
 //                 Frank Li <https://github.com/franklixuefei>
 //                 Jessica Franco <https://github.com/Kovensky>
+//                 Paul Sherman <https://github.com/pshrmn>
 // Definitions: https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped
 // TypeScript Version: 2.8
 
@@ -905,51 +906,47 @@ declare namespace React {
     //
     // Event System
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    interface SyntheticEvent<T = Element> {
+    // TODO: change any to unknown when moving to TS v3
+    interface BaseSyntheticEvent<E = object, C = any, T = any> {
+        nativeEvent: E;
+        currentTarget: C;
+        target: T;
         bubbles: boolean;
-        /**
-         * A reference to the element on which the event listener is registered.
-         */
-        currentTarget: EventTarget & T;
         cancelable: boolean;
         defaultPrevented: boolean;
         eventPhase: number;
         isTrusted: boolean;
-        nativeEvent: Event;
         preventDefault(): void;
         isDefaultPrevented(): boolean;
         stopPropagation(): void;
         isPropagationStopped(): boolean;
         persist(): void;
-        // If you thought this should be `EventTarget & T`, see https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped/pull/12239
-        /**
-         * A reference to the element from which the event was originally dispatched.
-         * This might be a child element to the element on which the event listener is registered.
-         *
-         * @see currentTarget
-         */
-        target: EventTarget;
         timeStamp: number;
         type: string;
     }
 
-    interface ClipboardEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    /**
+     * currentTarget - a reference to the element on which the event listener is registered.
+     *
+     * target - a reference to the element from which the event was originally dispatched.
+     * This might be a child element to the element on which the event listener is registered.
+     * If you thought this should be `EventTarget & T`, see https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped/pull/12239
+     */
+    interface SyntheticEvent<T = Element, E = Event> extends BaseSyntheticEvent<E, EventTarget & T, EventTarget> {}
+
+    interface ClipboardEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeClipboardEvent> {
         clipboardData: DataTransfer;
-        nativeEvent: NativeClipboardEvent;
     }
 
-    interface CompositionEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface CompositionEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeCompositionEvent> {
         data: string;
-        nativeEvent: NativeCompositionEvent;
     }
 
-    interface DragEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T> {
+    interface DragEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T, NativeDragEvent> {
         dataTransfer: DataTransfer;
-        nativeEvent: NativeDragEvent;
     }
 
-    interface PointerEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T> {
+    interface PointerEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T, NativePointerEvent> {
         pointerId: number;
         pressure: number;
         tiltX: number;
@@ -958,11 +955,9 @@ declare namespace React {
         height: number;
         pointerType: 'mouse' | 'pen' | 'touch';
         isPrimary: boolean;
-        nativeEvent: NativePointerEvent;
     }
 
-    interface FocusEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
-        nativeEvent: NativeFocusEvent;
+    interface FocusEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeFocusEvent> {
         relatedTarget: EventTarget;
         target: EventTarget & T;
     }
@@ -979,7 +974,7 @@ declare namespace React {
         target: EventTarget & T;
     }
 
-    interface KeyboardEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface KeyboardEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeKeyboardEvent> {
         altKey: boolean;
         charCode: number;
         ctrlKey: boolean;
@@ -995,13 +990,12 @@ declare namespace React {
         locale: string;
         location: number;
         metaKey: boolean;
-        nativeEvent: NativeKeyboardEvent;
         repeat: boolean;
         shiftKey: boolean;
         which: number;
     }
 
-    interface MouseEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface MouseEvent<T = Element, E = NativeMouseEvent> extends SyntheticEvent<T, E> {
         altKey: boolean;
         button: number;
         buttons: number;
@@ -1015,7 +1009,6 @@ declare namespace React {
         metaKey: boolean;
         movementX: number;
         movementY: number;
-        nativeEvent: NativeMouseEvent;
         pageX: number;
         pageY: number;
         relatedTarget: EventTarget;
@@ -1024,7 +1017,7 @@ declare namespace React {
         shiftKey: boolean;
     }
 
-    interface TouchEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface TouchEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeTouchEvent> {
         altKey: boolean;
         changedTouches: TouchList;
         ctrlKey: boolean;
@@ -1033,36 +1026,31 @@ declare namespace React {
          */
         getModifierState(key: string): boolean;
         metaKey: boolean;
-        nativeEvent: NativeTouchEvent;
         shiftKey: boolean;
         targetTouches: TouchList;
         touches: TouchList;
     }
 
-    interface UIEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface UIEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeUIEvent> {
         detail: number;
-        nativeEvent: NativeUIEvent;
         view: AbstractView;
     }
 
-    interface WheelEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T> {
+    interface WheelEvent<T = Element> extends MouseEvent<T, NativeWheelEvent> {
         deltaMode: number;
         deltaX: number;
         deltaY: number;
         deltaZ: number;
-        nativeEvent: NativeWheelEvent;
     }
 
-    interface AnimationEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface AnimationEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeAnimationEvent> {
         animationName: string;
         elapsedTime: number;
-        nativeEvent: NativeAnimationEvent;
         pseudoElement: string;
     }
 
-    interface TransitionEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T> {
+    interface TransitionEvent<T = Element> extends SyntheticEvent<T, NativeTransitionEvent> {
         elapsedTime: number;
-        nativeEvent: NativeTransitionEvent;
         propertyName: string;
         pseudoElement: string;
     }
diff --git a/types/react/test/index.ts b/types/react/test/index.ts
index 8a4a2bd89b..a2c6ebab36 100644
--- a/types/react/test/index.ts
+++ b/types/react/test/index.ts
@@ -695,6 +695,15 @@ React.createFactory(TransitionGroup)({ component: "div" });
     const newObjShallow = update(obj, { $merge: { b: 6, c: 7 } }); // => {a: 5, b: 6, c: 7}
 }
 
+//
+// Events
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+function eventHandler<T extends React.BaseSyntheticEvent>(e: T) {}
+
+function handler(e: React.MouseEvent) {
+    eventHandler(e);
+}
+
 //
 // The SyntheticEvent.target.value should be accessible for onChange
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------