diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/create.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/create.go
index 79b278433..b68e0bfb4 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/create.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/create.go
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ func (s *Service) CreateDBInstance(ctx context.Context, input *rds.CreateDBInsta
 	// gates connectivity until then.
 	s.publishDNS(ctx, accountID, stored, handlers_dns.ActionUpsert)
 
+	s.RecordEvent(ctx, accountID, EventSourceTypeDBInstance, req.Identifier,
+		"DB instance created.", EventCategoryCreation)
 	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "rds: DB instance created",
 		"dbInstance", req.Identifier, "accountId", accountID, "instanceId", launched.InstanceID,
 		"endpoint", stored.EndpointAddress, "class", req.InstanceClass)
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/create_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/create_test.go
index 48cf3a75e..9664b95f1 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/create_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/create_test.go
@@ -253,6 +253,14 @@ func TestCreateDBInstance_ProvisionsAndRecordsTheInstance(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "Sup3rSecret!", rec.Bootstrap.MasterUserPassword)
 	assert.False(t, rec.Bootstrap.Consumed)
 
+	events := describeEvents(t, h.svc, &rds.DescribeEventsInput{
+		SourceType:       aws.String(EventSourceTypeDBInstance),
+		SourceIdentifier: aws.String(testDBInstanceID),
+	})
+	require.Len(t, events, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "DB instance created.", aws.StringValue(events[0].Message))
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{EventCategoryCreation}, aws.StringValueSlice(events[0].EventCategories))
+
 	// The placement is the account's default VPC and its lowest-sorted subnet,
 	// with the VPC's default security group when the request names none.
 	assert.Equal(t, testDefaultVPC, rec.VpcID)
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler.go
index aecff6095..85b07196d 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler.go
@@ -652,6 +652,10 @@ func (r *Reconciler) transition(ctx context.Context, kv jetstream.KeyValue, rev
 	}
 	slog.InfoContext(ctx, "rds reconciler: DB instance transitioned",
 		"dbInstance", rec.DBInstanceIdentifier, "from", from, "to", to, "reason", reason)
+	if from == StatusCreating && to == StatusAvailable {
+		r.svc.RecordEvent(ctx, AccountIDFromBucketName(kv.Bucket()), EventSourceTypeDBInstance,
+			rec.DBInstanceIdentifier, "DB instance is available.", EventCategoryAvailability)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler_test.go
index 6824b2aa1..b158344b5 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/reconciler_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/rds"
 	"github.com/mulgadc/spinifex/spinifex/testutil"
 	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -96,6 +98,14 @@ func TestReconciler_MarksAvailableOnHealthyHeartbeatFromARunningVM(t *testing.T)
 	assert.Equal(t, StatusAvailable, status)
 	assert.Empty(t, reason)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{testInstance}, h.state.calls)
+
+	events := describeEvents(t, h.svc, &rds.DescribeEventsInput{
+		SourceType:       aws.String(EventSourceTypeDBInstance),
+		SourceIdentifier: aws.String(testDBID),
+	})
+	require.Len(t, events, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "DB instance is available.", aws.StringValue(events[0].Message))
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{EventCategoryAvailability}, aws.StringValueSlice(events[0].EventCategories))
 }
 
 // Both halves must hold. A healthy beat from a VM that is not running means the
diff --git a/tests/e2e/rds/create_describe_test.go b/tests/e2e/rds/create_describe_test.go
index 534135331..5e9c0f39b 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/rds/create_describe_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/rds/create_describe_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,28 @@ func TestCreateDescribe(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, int64(5432), aws.Int64Value(instance.Endpoint.Port))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("RecordsCreationAndAvailabilityEvents", func(t *testing.T) {
+		requireAvailable(t, instance)
+		out, err := f.AWS.RDS.DescribeEvents(&rds.DescribeEventsInput{
+			SourceType:       aws.String("db-instance"),
+			SourceIdentifier: aws.String(id),
+			Duration:         aws.Int64(1440),
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err, "describe-events")
+		require.NotEmpty(t, out.Events, "a freshly created instance must have an event history")
+
+		eventsByMessage := make(map[string]*rds.Event, len(out.Events))
+		for _, event := range out.Events {
+			eventsByMessage[aws.StringValue(event.Message)] = event
+		}
+		createdEvent := eventsByMessage["DB instance created."]
+		require.NotNil(t, createdEvent)
+		assert.Contains(t, aws.StringValueSlice(createdEvent.EventCategories), "creation")
+		availableEvent := eventsByMessage["DB instance is available."]
+		require.NotNil(t, availableEvent)
+		assert.Contains(t, aws.StringValueSlice(availableEvent.EventCategories), "availability")
+	})
+
 	t.Run("AppearsInTheFleetListing", func(t *testing.T) {
 		requireAvailable(t, instance)
 		list, err := f.AWS.RDS.DescribeDBInstances(&rds.DescribeDBInstancesInput{})