Awakening of Men

The firsts men were awoken in the easterly land of Hildórien, these younger Children of Ilúvatar awoke during the time when the elves of the Noldor were already returning from Valinor to Middle-earth.

When the elves had awokened, Middle-earth was still lite only by stars and they had no fear of the night, thus Oromë called them the People of the Stars. However men were awakened when the sun first rose and the elves called them the Children of the sun, the Night-fearers.

According to legends of the Edain, Morgoth visited Men in Hildórien seeking their allegiance and converted them away from Eru Ilúvatar, and Men were made mortal in divine punishment. However this was merely a trait bestowed upon men by Eru and not out of punishment. To escape the evil of Morgoth and his followers, the Atanatári were the first to flee Hildórien, travelling west to eventually Beleriand.