Leo Birinsky nació el 8 de junio de 1884 en Lysianka, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [ahora Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine]. Murió el 23 de octubre de 1951 en Nueva York, Nueva York, EE.UU..
He wrote in German and English. Until recently, only a minimal amount of information about his life has been available. Complicating matters, there have been many legends and rumors concerning Birinski's person, including the false report of his "suicide" in 1920 that found its way from newspaper obituaries into encyclopedias.