First Age
In the First Age, Eru alone created Elves and Men. This is why in "The Silmarillion" both races are called the Children of Ilúvatar. The story of their creation is told in the "Quenta Silmarillion". Elves are also named the "Minnónar" in Quenya ("Firstborn") and Men are the "Apanónar" ("Those born after" or "Afterborn") because the Elves were the first of the Children of Ilúvatar to awake in Middle-earth, whereas Men were not intended to follow until the beginning of the First Age many years later.