Edit in JSFiddle

<ul id="components" class="tabs ui-helper-clearfix">
  <li><a href="#model">can.Model</a></li>
  <li><a href="#view">can.View</a></li>
  <li><a href="#control">can.Control</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="model" class="tab">
    can.Model is used for getting data and listening to it.
</div>
<div id="view" class="tab">
    can.View is used to present data and update with changes to it.
</div>
<div id="control" class="tab">
    can.Control is used to listen to things.
</div>
<br/><br/>
<ul id="people" class="tabs ui-helper-clearfix">
  <li><a href="#brian">Brian</a></li>
  <li><a href="#justin">Justin</a></li>
  <li><a href="#mihael">Michael</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="brian" class="tab">
    <img src='http://bitovi.com/images/people/brian.jpg'/>
</div>
<div id="justin" class="tab">
    <img src='http://bitovi.com/images/people/justin.jpg'/>
</div>
<div id="mihael" class="tab">
    <img src='http://bitovi.com/images/people/mihael.jpg'/>
</div>

var HistoryTabs = can.Control.extend({
  init: function( el ) {
      
    // hide all tabs
    var tab = this.tab;
    this.element.children( 'li' ).each(function() {
      tab( $( this ) ).hide();
    });
      
    // activate the first tab
    var active = can.route.attr(this.options.attr);
    this.activate(active);
  },
  "{can.route} {attr}" : function(route, ev, newVal, oldVal){
    this.activate(newVal, oldVal)
  },
  // helper function finds the tab for a given li
  tab: function( li ) {
    return $( li.find( 'a' ).attr( 'href' ) );
  },
  // helper function finds li for a given id
  button : function(id){
    // if nothing is active, activate the first
    return id ? this.element.find("a[href=#"+id+"]").parent()  : 
                this.element.children( 'li:first' );
  },
  // activates 
  activate: function( active, oldActive ){
    // deactivate the old active
    var oldButton = this.button(oldActive).removeClass('active');
    this.tab(oldButton).hide();
    // activate new
    var newButton = this.button(active).addClass('active');
    this.tab(newButton).show();
  },
  "li click" : function(el, ev){
    // prevent the default setting
    ev.preventDefault();
    // update the route data
    can.route.attr(this.options.attr, this.tab(el)[0].id)
  }
});

// configure routes
can.route(":component",{
  component: "model",
  person: "mihael"
});

can.route(":component/:person",{
  component: "model",
  person: "mihael"
});

// adds the controller to the element
new HistoryTabs( '#components',{attr: 'component'});
new HistoryTabs( '#people',{attr: 'person'});

@import url(http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lato:100,400,700);

* {
	font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif;
    font-size: 12px;
    text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 #ffffff;
}
.tabs {
    padding: 0px; 
    margin: 10px 0px 0px 0px;
    position: relative;
    z-index: 1;
    top: 1px;
}
.tabs li {
    float: left;
    padding: 7px 10px;
    background-color: #F6F6F6;
    list-style: none;
    margin-left: 5px;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
    -webkit-border-top-left-radius: 3px;
    -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 3px;
    -moz-border-radius-topleft: 3px;
    -moz-border-radius-topright: 3px;
    border-top-left-radius: 3px;
    border-top-right-radius: 3px;
}
.tabs li a {
    color: #999;
    font-weight: bold;
    text-decoration: none;
}
.tabs li.active {
    background-color: #fff;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;
}        
.tabs li.active a {
    color: #000;
    cursor: default;
}
.tab {
    border: solid 1px #ccc;
    padding: 10px;
}

/* clearfix from jQueryUI */
.ui-helper-clearfix:after { content: "."; display: block; height: 0; clear: both; visibility: hidden; }
.ui-helper-clearfix { display: inline-block; }
/* required comment for clearfix to work in Opera \*/
* html .ui-helper-clearfix { height:1%; }
.ui-helper-clearfix { display:block; }
/* end clearfix */