WorldWideWeb/Nexus

When considering the first web browser, many immediately think of Netscape Navigator; however, this notion is misleading. In fact, Netscape Navigator was the third web browser made available to the public.

The very first web browser was called WorldWideWeb, but was later renamed Nexus to eliminate confusion between the web and the browser itself. Released in 1990 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, this browser also served as a tool for web page creation. It was discontinued in 1994 as newer and superior browsers became available.

Lynx

Do you remember the days when using the terminal to input commands was the norm? Back when graphical user interfaces were either non-existent or rarely utilized? I certainly don’t; I wasn’t alive then.

Lynx is a terminal-based web browser, focused entirely on text. Forget about images, complex CSS, or animations. The name reflects the idea that a website is essentially just text with hyperlinks leading to other pages. Lynx is still actively developed, and its website is fully functional in the browser, although it may not be visually appealing.

I first experimented with Lynx in high school when I discovered my passion for the terminal on my Linux machine. You can download it if you're interested in trying it out.

Mosaic / Netscape Navigator

This marks the true beginning of the web. Mosaic is recognized as the first genuine web browser in the form we know today. Initially owned by Mosaic Communications Corporation, it was later rebranded to Netscape Communications Corporation, with the browser being named Mosaic Netscape before ultimately becoming Netscape Navigator in later versions.

Netscape Navigator was the first to introduce JavaScript, a scripting language that enables developers to add interactivity to web pages. This innovation began with Netscape Navigator and subsequently spread to other browsers.

Modern browsers such as Mozilla Firefox are built upon the foundation laid by Netscape Navigator, which ultimately ceased development with its last version released in February 2008, prompting users to transition to browsers like Firefox.

Opera

Shortly after Mosaic's release, Opera emerged, launching its first beta version in November 1994. It was an innovative browser, utilizing its own rendering engine and quickly incorporating the JavaScript runtime from Netscape Navigator. Opera even ventured into mobile browsers as early as 1998, gaining traction with the introduction of Android and iOS. Today's versions of Opera are built on Chromium, the open-source framework that also underpins Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer

Everyone is familiar with Internet Explorer — it was the default browser for Windows systems. Launched in August 1995, Microsoft discontinued support for it in 2016, and it has since been phased out completely from Windows machines.

Four months after its initial release, Microsoft introduced a version for Mac. During this period, Microsoft aimed for dominance in the online space, which led to a significant legal dispute.

This browser ceased supporting new HTML, CSS, and JavaScript features in the early 2010s, prompting many developers to stop compatibility. By then, most users had shifted to Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari for Mac.

Mozilla Firefox / SeaMonkey

In March 1999, Mozilla developed an internet suite. Its browser, initially named Phoenix, debuted in September 2002. In 2003, it was renamed Firebird, and ultimately became Firefox in 2004.

The original Mozilla browser was not discontinued; instead, it was renamed Mozilla SeaMonkey. SeaMonkey is still actively developed today.

Both Firefox and SeaMonkey utilize Mozilla’s Gecko engine for rendering web pages. They hold a nostalgic significance in the web browser lineage, being closely related to Netscape Navigator, which, had it continued development, would bear a strong resemblance to Firefox.

Safari

In June 2003, Apple launched Safari, a built-in web browser for its Macs, after years of developing a browser engine known as Webkit — a name familiar to many web developers today.

Webkit serves as a foundational browser engine for numerous browsers available today. In addition to being a browser engine, it also functions as a standalone browser, akin to Safari Technology Preview.

In 2007, Apple introduced a preview version of Safari for Windows, with a stable release following in 2008. Between 2003 and 2007, Apple worked on adapting Webkit for Windows, which eventually enabled Google to develop Chromium, the most widely used browser globally.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is now the most popular web browser worldwide. It is based on the open-source project Chromium, which has inspired other browsers, including newer versions of Opera, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave Browser.

Chromium itself is not an original browser but a fork of Webkit created by Apple. Google enhanced the source code from Webkit, leading to the creation of the Blink Browser Engine. Any browser based on Chromium utilizes the Blink engine, ensuring that web pages operate identically as they do on Chrome.

If you have a lesser-known web browser you’d like me to include, please let me know.

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