Rodgers and Hammerstein were an American songwriting duo consisting of Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960). They are most famous for creating a string of immensely popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s, during what is considered the golden age of the medium. Five of their shows were outstanding successes: Oklahoma! (their first collaboration); Carousel; South Pacific; The King and I; and The Sound of Music.