In San Francisco in 1856, Leopold Kahn was born to Gabriel and Cornelia Kahn. While both his parents were of normal size, the family had a history of dwarfism; including an uncle and the nephew who would perform under the name of Major Atom.
 
P. T. Barnum discovered the child while on vacation to the west coast; a trip he took after his American Museum was destroyed by fire. Leopold reminded Barnum so much of Tom Thumb, he was inspired to create a traveling show which he called, P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. At one time he was billed as The Smallest Character Actor in the World.
 
In 1892 he married another pituitary dwarf, Charlotte Naomi Swartwood in a traditional Jewish ceremony. They settled in White Plains, New York a few years later, investing the money he earned working for Barnum in the Admiral Dot Hotel. He became a Deputy Sheriff, a member of the Elks and a Volunteer Firefighter. He helped fight the fire that destroyed his hotel in 1911.
 
Influenza took both his and his daughter's life in 1918.