Final answer:
Names like Explorer, Magellan, Navigator, and Safari are metaphorical, chosen to evoke the experience of exploration and adventure in the context of web browsing. The historical context includes significant events like the development of Netscape Navigator and its subsequent challenge by Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which ultimately led to an antitrust case.
Step-by-step explanation:
Web portals such as Explorer, Magellan, Navigator, and Safari have names that were created to subtly communicate the experience of surfing the Web. These names could be described as thematic or metaphorical, as they draw on themes of exploration and adventure to metaphorically convey the concept of browsing the vast 'terrain' of the Internet.
The history of web browsers is tied to pivotal technological developments. The creation of the MOSAIC browser by graduate student Marc Andreessen in 1993 was instrumental in building upon the inventions of Tim Berners-Lee, helping cement the foundation of the modern web. Andreessen's subsequent venture, Netscape, released the Navigator browser which was challenged by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Due to Microsoft's tactics with bundling Internet Explorer in Windows 95, an antitrust case was ruled in Feb 2001 stating that Microsoft had indeed abused its monopoly powers. Although Netscape Navigator was significantly affected by this and was eventually acquired by AOL, the legacies of these browsers remain evident in the metaphoric manner in which modern browsers, such as Safari, are named.